Western Gull on the San Diego waterfront. #birds #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #bird #gull #WesternGull #Larus #photography #SanDiego #California
@brownsbay It's amazing how much darker Western Gull mantles are in southern California than in Washington state
@JaneHadley Yes, but also the Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls readily hybridize such that there are almost no pure Westerns or Glaucous-winged in the Puget Sound area. That may account for the lighter color. The hybrids have been given the name "Olympic" gull.
@brownsbay Yes, aware of that. But I was aware of that. It is just a reminder that we're seeing mostly Olympics or Glaucus-winged in Washington State, not Westerns.