General Description: Mew Gulls (Larus canus) are small, white-headed gulls with a light gray mantle and wing tips marked with black and white. The bill is relatively short and all yellow. In winter plumage, Mew Gulls get a brown wash on the head and neck.

Gulls take 2-4 years to mature. The plumage during the juvenile and subadult years differs from the adult breeding plumage, and the plumage also differs between summer and winter. Thus, there can be 7 or so different plumages for each species of gull, making identification difficult. Mew Gulls take three years to mature. In all age classes, Mew Gulls have a short bill.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Laridae, Larinae.

Favored Habitat: Mew Gulls spend the summer and breed in the western Arctic of Canada and Alaska. In winter, they move to the Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California.

Where to Find: Don't look for Mew Gulls around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them while birding along the Pacific Coast during winter.

Comments: