California Gull
Larus californicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus californicus (California Gull)
The California gull (Larus californicus) is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull (though it may overlap in size with both). Although named after California, it can be found annually across most of western North America, from the Canadian prairie provinces in the northeast and south through western Mexico. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a California Gull sighting in Redwood National Park, based on 466 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Redwood National Park
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Heermann's Gull
Larus heermanni
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Gull in Redwood National Park?
About 22% of wildlife watchers report a California Gull sighting in Redwood National Park, based on 466 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Gull in Redwood National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for California Gull in Redwood National Park in our monthly data.