Gulls are some of the most challenging group of birds to identify especially for many new birders. Here in BC we officially have 8 species of gulls, but what makes the gulls in BC more challenging to indetify is the fact that the West Coast of North America, especially around BC and Washington, signifanctyly higher rates of hybridisation are seen in all species , including for gulls. This adds even more challenges in the field when trying to decided if the gull is a pure breed or hybrid. Here we will take a look at some of the "pure breed" adult gull species. Juvenile gulls are often challenging to identify and are usually brown in colour. These are some characteristics of gulls which haven't been hybridised.
The 8 gulls found here are :
1) Glaucous-winged Gull
2) Western Gull
3) Herring Gull
4) Thayer’s Gull
5) California Gull
6) Ring-billed Gull
7) Mew Gull
8) Bonaparte’s Gulls
The easiest of these gulls to identify are definitely Mew, Bonaparte and Ring-Billed Gulls as these gulls have some of the most distinctive features.
1) Bonaparte’s Gulls
This is probably the most distinctive gull and can be identified from a far. The key features to positively ID birds is the head. For breeding adults, they have black head.Non-breeding adults have a black spot behind their eyes as seen below.
Also, this is the only gull species in BC to have a black bill and orange/red legs.
2) Mew Gull
This gull is the smallest white headed gull in BC. Distigushed characteristics of this species is a "round" head, dark eyes and a sharp unmarked bill.
This photo was taken by me in Nanaimo, BC. As can be seen, the gull has no markings on the bill. It is just a plain yellow bill.
3) Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed gulls have a distinguished black marking which "rings" around the bill. It is relatively small compared with he other white headed gulls but larger then the mew gull. They have yellow eyes and in flight they are indentiflable by their black wing tips and small size.
4) Glaucous-winged Gull
The Glaucous Winged Gull, is one of the larger gulls in BC. Some pointers to ID this gull is the yellow bill with a red dot, pink legs and grey wings and wing tips.
5) Western Gull
A Western Gul is very similar to GW Gulls in terms of build. However the most significant difference between the two is that a Western Gull has a Darker Mantle and a black wing tips as shown in the picture above.Generally, the eyes have a slight green hue.
6) California Gull
The plumage is very similar to a WEGU but the key distinguishing feature is the yellow legs and red spot at the base of bill.
7) Thyer's Gull (Icelandic Gull ssp).
A subspecies of Icelandic Gull, has light mantle like GWGU and black "tail" like Western Gull. Has dark iris.
8) Herring Gull
The Herring Gull is the only other gull besides the Ring-bill Gull to have yellow Iris in BC. The body is similar to GWGU and WEGU, but the Iris is the distingutiing factor. Also the Herring Gull lacks the black "ring" of a Ring Billed Gull
The 8 gulls found here are :
1) Glaucous-winged Gull
2) Western Gull
3) Herring Gull
4) Thayer’s Gull
5) California Gull
6) Ring-billed Gull
7) Mew Gull
8) Bonaparte’s Gulls
The easiest of these gulls to identify are definitely Mew, Bonaparte and Ring-Billed Gulls as these gulls have some of the most distinctive features.
1) Bonaparte’s Gulls
This is probably the most distinctive gull and can be identified from a far. The key features to positively ID birds is the head. For breeding adults, they have black head.Non-breeding adults have a black spot behind their eyes as seen below.
 |
| Non Breeding Adult (Wikipedia) |
 |
| Breeding Adult (Wikipedia) |
Also, this is the only gull species in BC to have a black bill and orange/red legs.
2) Mew Gull
 |
| Source: Atish Banerjee |
This gull is the smallest white headed gull in BC. Distigushed characteristics of this species is a "round" head, dark eyes and a sharp unmarked bill.
This photo was taken by me in Nanaimo, BC. As can be seen, the gull has no markings on the bill. It is just a plain yellow bill.
3) Ring-billed Gull
 |
| Source: Atish Banerjee |
Ring-billed gulls have a distinguished black marking which "rings" around the bill. It is relatively small compared with he other white headed gulls but larger then the mew gull. They have yellow eyes and in flight they are indentiflable by their black wing tips and small size.
4) Glaucous-winged Gull
 |
| Source: Atish Banerjee |
 |
| Source: Atish Banerjee |
The Glaucous Winged Gull, is one of the larger gulls in BC. Some pointers to ID this gull is the yellow bill with a red dot, pink legs and grey wings and wing tips.
5) Western Gull
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
A Western Gul is very similar to GW Gulls in terms of build. However the most significant difference between the two is that a Western Gull has a Darker Mantle and a black wing tips as shown in the picture above.Generally, the eyes have a slight green hue.
6) California Gull
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
7) Thyer's Gull (Icelandic Gull ssp).
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
A subspecies of Icelandic Gull, has light mantle like GWGU and black "tail" like Western Gull. Has dark iris.
8) Herring Gull
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
 |
| Source Wikipedia |
The Herring Gull is the only other gull besides the Ring-bill Gull to have yellow Iris in BC. The body is similar to GWGU and WEGU, but the Iris is the distingutiing factor. Also the Herring Gull lacks the black "ring" of a Ring Billed Gull
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