General Description: Olympic Gulls (Larus glaucescens x occidentalis) are hybrids between Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) and Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) and are the common large, white-headed gull in the Puget Sound of Washington state. They are also fairly common south of there to northern California.

The head is white, the mantle is medium gray, and the wing tips are marked with dark brown or dark gray (not jet black) and white. The bill is yellow and has a red or red and black spot on the lower mandible. the legs are pink. In winter plumage, these gulls get a smudged (not streaked), brown or gray wash on the head and neck.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Laridae, Larinae.

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. Olympic Gulls take four years to mature.

Favored Habitat: Coastal habitats.

Where to Find: Don't look for Olympic Gulls around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them while birding along the Pacific Coast of Oregon and Washington.

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