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One of the many species of birds that inhabit the Okanagan year round are members of the gull family. These web-footed water birds are unique in being equally adept at swimming, walking and flying.
They tend to be gregarious and large flocks will converge on beaches and fields or wherever food is available. Omnivorous, they can be attracted to food scraps around restaurants, schoolyards and garbage dumps. You can find the largest concentration of these birds at the Valley’s Sanitary Landfills. They are very methodical and patient at opening bags and cartons. Large Gull species will mix where food is abundant, while smaller gulls are apt to form their own little flocks.
CALIFORNIA GULL
This gull often mixes with Ring billed or Herring gulls. An adult at 4 years shows a dark grey back (mantle) and black wing tips, greenish yellow legs, and a yellow bill with red and black marks during the breeding season. It is one of the largest gulls - 21” long - with a wingspan of 54”
Prior to the 1960’s, California gulls were seen only on migration, but the expanding human population and resulting increase in garbage, has seen an increase in this population and breeding is common in the area. One of the local breeding colonies has evolved on an island off Carr’s Landing. The resulting noise and activity in spring is somewhat overwhelming. These birds winter on the Pacific Coast and migrate into Alberta, Saks and the southern arctic to breed. In most years the California Gull leaves when the weather turns cold. They can be found at the mouth of creeks feeding on spawning kokanee salmon and possibly the newly deposited eggs.
Their nest is very rudimentary, a shallow construction of grass, twigs, feathers and other miscellaneous material with usually 2, sometimes 3 eggs laid. Gulls stagger the laying of eggs, to reduce competition among the young for food. Some gulls will time the egg hatching to coincide with the availability of food, such as small chicks from another bird species, who nest in large colonies.
HERRING GULL
This is a larger gull “25 in length, and weighing twice as much as the California gull. The appearance is much the same as the California gull, although the back is a lighter gray and the legs are pink. They too winter on the coast and migrate to the Arctic and northern parts of all provinces. They are year round residents of the East Coast. These birds are often seen following ships at sea.
They are present on Okanagan lakes throughout the year and the nesting colony at Carr’s Landing represents the most southerly such colony west of Manitoba. The voice is described as a “bugling sound. The nest and number of eggs are similar to the California gull.
All gulls will prey on other bird eggs and/or their young and view an injured larger bird as another meal. They will even attack a raft of coots.
RING BILLED GULL
This species is by far the most common in the valley. A smaller gull of the white headed species, it too has a gray back, but yellow legs and a dark ring on the bill which distinguishes it from the other gulls. They too nest on the island known as Whiskey Island;(Carr’s Landing), an event which occurred with the opening of the garbage dump in the Glenmore area, 20 kms away. Whiskey Island is relatively small only 130 feet by 32 feet and is mostly bare rock with some cactus and Oregon grape. The sheer numbers of nesting gulls now, has all but destroyed the vegetation. It has been noted that some gulls will even use an abandoned Canada Goose nest, as their own. The ever-increasing number of Ring- Billed Gulls will eventually lead to a lack of nesting habitat. This poses the question, where will they nest next? The island is close enough for the gulls to carry food to their young, which they have scavenged at the dump. Many winter locally now, but previously they wintered from the southern B.C. coast, through to the southern U.S.
Gulls provide a good challenge to the bird watcher as they mature in 3 or 4 years; taking a different suit-of-clothes each year and each season. A good bird book will help you to identify the various gulls all year, and even the odd much rarer gull that may just be passing through the valley.
Pat Westheuser
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club
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