General Description: Adult Yellow-footed Gulls (Larus livens) are very large birds with a very dark mantle with black wingtips, and otherwise the plumage is bright white. The legs and feet are yellow, and there is a red spot on the lower mandible. In winter plumage, adults get a gray wash on the head and neck. Juveniles are very dark and start out with a black bill and pink legs.

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. Yellow-footed Gulls take three years to mature.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Laridae, Larinae.

Favored Habitat: Yellow-footed Gulls breed in the Gulf of California. Post-breeding, some birds fly north and are not uncommon at the Salton Sea. On rare occasions, they fly north to Lake Mead.

Where to Find: Yellow-footed Gulls are rare in the Las Vegas area. Check for them while birding at Lake Mead, but the luck is better at the Salton Sea.

Comments: With these birds moving north, this might be an example of birds adapting to a changing climate -- flying north seeking cooler temperatures.