Yellow-footed Gull
Larus livens
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus livens (Yellow-footed Gull)
About the Yellow-footed Gull
The yellow-footed gull (Larus livens) is a large gull, closely related to the western gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s. It is endemic to the Gulf of California. Adults are similar in appearance to the western gull with a white head, dark, slate-colored back and wings, and a thick yellow bill. Their legs are yellow, though first winter birds do display pink legs like those of the western gull. It attains full plumage at three years of age.
This species is tied with slaty-backed gull for the world's fourth-largest gull species and is one of the largest gulls in the world, being slightly larger than the western gull. It measures 53 to 72 cm (21 to 28 in) in length and spans 140 to 160 cm (55 to 63 in) across the wings. The body mass of this species can vary from 930 to 1,500 g (2.05 to 3.31 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40 to 46 cm (16 to 18 in), the bill is 5.0 to 6.2 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 5.9 to 7.5 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in).
Yellow-footed gulls are native to the Gulf of California in Mexico. Most are non-migratory, but an increasing number have been traveling to California's Salton Sea... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow-footed Gull in Cabo Pulmo National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cabo Pulmo National Park
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
Heermann's Gull
Larus heermanni
California Gull
Larus californicus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-footed Gull in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-footed Gull sighting in Cabo Pulmo National Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow-footed Gull in Cabo Pulmo National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-footed Gull in Cabo Pulmo National Park in our monthly data.