Little Gull

Table

Little Gull – Accepted
1. 16–21 Nov 1968	AHY	Mecca RIV	1984-233	10	Fig. 146, ph., AFN 23:109, 111; cover AFN 23(1)
2. 22–26 Dec 1969	AHY	Redondo Beach LA	1986-356	11
3. 19 Jan–01 Mar 1975	SY	Zmudowski State Beach MTY	1975-002	3	Fig. 150, ph., Roberson (1980)
4. 13 Apr 1977	ASY	Pajaro Dunes SCZ	1977-083	4
5. 14–22 Apr 1977	SY	Goleta SBA	1977-029	4	ph., AB 31:1047, Roberson (1978, 1980)
6. 16 Apr 1977	ASY	Pigeon Pt. SM	1977-082	4
7. 21 Feb–05 Mar 1978	ASY	Eureka/Arcata HUM	1978-068	5,14
8. 07 Oct 1978	AHY	n Humboldt Bay HUM	1978-108	5
9-12. 20 Mar–02 Apr 1979	SY	Stockton SJ	1979-021	5	ph., Roberson (1980)
and 04 Feb–31 Mar 1980			1979-021	5,9
and 17 Oct 1980–31 May 1981			1983-093	5,9
and 26 Oct 1981–09 May 1982	≤ 2		1983-085	5,9	ph.
and 18 Oct 1982–09 May 1983	≤ 4		1984-001	9	ph.
and 18 Oct 1983–28 Apr 1984	≤ 2		1984-042	9
and 26 Oct 1984–24 Apr 1985			1984-269	10
and 09 Oct 1985–28 Apr 1986	≤ 4		1985-165	11
includes 13 Mar 1986	ASY	Woodbridge Rd. SJ	1986-478	12	ph.
and 14 Oct 1986–22 Apr 1987	≤ 3		1987-077	12
incl. 16 Nov 1986–mid Feb 1987		Lodi SJ
and 11 Dec 1987–18 Apr 1988	*		2004-533	30
and 16 Nov 1988–18 Jan 1989		Lodi SJ	1989-008	13
includes 17 Dec 1988		adjacent SAC
and 24 Jan–02 Apr 1989		Stockton SJ	1989-046	13
includes 12 Feb 1989		vic. Lodi SJ	1989-047	13	see records not submitted
13. 19 Apr 1979		Pigeon Pt. SM	1983-098	9
14. 01–05 Mar 1980	SY	Santa Clara R. mouth VEN	1980-016	6
15. 22 Nov–21 Dec 1980	H-SY	Huntington Beach ORA	1980-239	7
16. 24 Jan 1981	SY	Huntington Beach ORA	1981-058	7	ph.
17. 15 Aug 1981	HY	Crescent City DN	1981-051	7	ph.
18. 27 Dec 1981	HY	Oceanside SD	1982-030	8	ph., SDNHM 41883, Unitt (2004)
19. 01–02 Jan 1982	ASY	Watsonville SCZ	1982-044	8,14
20. 03–13 Apr 1982	ASY	Monterey MTY	1983-094	9	ph., Roberson (1985)
21. 10 May 1982	SY	Goleta SBA	1982-049	8
22. 19 May 1982	SY	Crescent City DN	1982-056	8
23. 06–12 Jun 1982	SY	Whitewater R., Salton Sea RIV	1982-061	8	SDNHM 41796
24. 11–16 Nov 1982	AHY	Arcata HUM	1986-477	12,14	ph.
25. 01 Jan–20 Feb 1983	ASY	Salinas R. mouth MTY	1983-035	8
26. 01 Jan 1984	ASY	Ferndale HUM	1985-027	10
27. 03–05 Sep 1984	HY	Lake Elsinore RIV	1984-213	10	ph.
28. 21–22 Nov 1984	AHY	Inverness MRN	1986-287	11
29. 17–31 Jan 1985	SY	Salton City IMP	1985-010	10	ph.
30. 12 Jul–14 Sep 1986	SY	Arcata HUM	1986-334/1987-002	12
31. 18 Apr–09 May 1987	SY	Whitewater R., Salton Sea RIV	1987-157	12
32. 06 Aug–28 Sep 1987	SY	Lake Crowley MNO	1987-283	13	ph., Gaines (1988), Howell & Dunn (2007)
33. 27 Sep 1987	HY	Tulare Lake KER	1988-049	13	ph.
34. 08 May 1988	SY	Salton City IMP	1989-042	13
35. 13 Sep 1988	AHY	Whitewater R., Salton Sea RIV	1988-242	13
36. 16 Oct 1988	HY	Monterey Bay MTY	1988-291	13	ph.
37. 20 Aug–25 Oct 1989	AHY	Pt. Reyes MRN	1989-126/1989-134	15
38. 23–26 Nov 1989	AHY	Santa Clara R. mouth VEN	1989-122	15	ph.
39. 08–09 Jan 1990	ASY	Carpinteria SBA	1990-043	15	ph., AB 44:329
40. 03 Mar 1990	ASY	Coyote Hills Reg. Park ALA	1990-049	15
41. 07 May–14 Jun 1990	SY	Santa Ynez R. mouth SBA	1990-082	15	ph., AB 44:497
42. 23 Dec 1990–06 Feb 1991	HY	Santa Cruz SCZ	1991-003	16	ph., AB 45:317
43. 31 Mar 1991	ASY	Ravenswood SM	1991-086	16
44. 21 Mar 1992	SY	Playa del Rey LA	1992-185	18
and 26–29 Apr 1992		Pt. Fermin LA	1992-186	18	ph.
45. 23 Mar–22 May 1992	ASY	Santa Maria SBA/Oso Flaco Lake SLO	1992-111	18	ph.
46. 10 May–04 Jul 1992	SY	Whitewater R., Salton Sea RIV	1992-123	18
47. 16 Jan 1993	SY	Long Beach LA	1994-099	20
48. 20 Nov 1993	HY	near Gustine MER	1994-007	19
49. 28 Nov 1993	HY	Piute Ponds LA	1993-193	19	ph.
50. 14 Dec 1993–08 Jan 1994	HY	vic. Oasis RIV	1993-200	19	ph.
51-53. 24 Jan–18 Feb 1994	ASY, SY	vic. Frink, Salton Sea IMP	1994-047	20
and 24 Jan–12 Feb 1994	SY		1994-047	20	ph., LACM 107890, Howell & Dunn (2007)
54. 18 Apr 1994	ASY	Hayward Regional Shoreline ALA	1994-104	20
55. 18 Nov 1994	SY	La Jolla SD	1994-176	20
56. 25 Mar 1995	SY	Yorba Regional Park ORA	2004-001	29
57. 04–11 May 1995	SY	Alviso SCL	1995-065	21	ph.
58. 07 May 1995	ASY	Salton Sea NWR IMP	1995-076	21
59. 19 May 1995	ASY	Mecca RIV	1995-077	21
60. 24 Jul–12 Aug 1995	SY	vic. Niland IMP	1995-081	21	ph., FN 49:982
61. 23 Dec 1995	AHY	Pt. Fermin LA	1996-011	21
62. 01 Mar–09 Apr 1996	SY	Hollister SBT	1996-063	22	ph.
63-64. 02 Mar–21 Apr 1996	≤ 2 ASY	n end Salton Sea RIV	1996-033/1996-073	22
65. 04–06 May 1996	ASY	China Lake KER	1996-097	22
66. 27 May 1996	ASY	Whitewater R., Salton Sea RIV	1996-082	22
67. 08 Nov 1996–27 Mar 1997	AHY	Corona/Hidden Valley Wildlife Area RIV	1996-150/1997-076	22
68. 31 May–24 Aug 1997	SY	vic. Niland IMP	1997-094	23
69. 29 Aug–01 Sep 1997	AHY	China Lake KER	1997-126	23
70. 28 Apr–02 May 1998	ASY	Alviso SCL	1998-070	24
71. 08–17 May 1998	SY	Alviso SCL	1998-078	24
72. 14–16 Jun 1998	SY	Lower Klamath NWR SIS	1998-140	24
73. 15 Nov 1998–27 Mar 1999	AHY	Mystic Lake RIV	1998-181	24	ph.
74. 31 Dec 1998	AHY	Alviso SCL	2004-026	29
75. 10–12 Mar 1999	ASY	Davis Wetlands YOL	1999-080	25
76-77. 15 Mar–13 May 1999	≤ 2 ASY	Stockton SJ	1999-082	25	ph., video, NAB 53:324
78. 21 Apr 1999	ASY	Alviso SCL	2001-040	26
79. 28 Apr 1999	SY	Alviso SCL	2004-026	29
80. 23 May–06 Jun 1999	SY	vic. Wister IMP	1999-098	25	ph., NAB 53:329
81. 28 Jan–15 Mar 2001	ASY	Lake Perris RIV	2001-034	27
82. 06 Apr 2002	SY	Huntington Beach ORA	2002-221	28
83. 24 Nov 2002	HY	Pt. Vicente LA	2002-199	29
84. 15 Nov–28 Dec 2003	AHY	Lake Mathews RIV	2004-042	29
85. 21 Dec 2003–16 Feb 2004	AHY	Prado Basin SBE	2003-198	29	ph., NAB 58:282
86. 26 Dec 2003–06 Jan 2004	AHY	Prado Basin SBE	2004-033	29	ph., San Miguel & McGrath (2005)
Little Gull – Not accepted, identification not established
23 Feb 1977		San Diego SD	1977-110	4
27 Dec 1977		Carmel MTY	1985-019	10
31 Oct 1988		Malibu Lagoon LA	1988-227	15
09 Nov 1996		Sunset State Beach SCZ	1996-149	23
21 May 1999		Pigeon Pt. SM	1999-111	25
12 Jan 2001		Dockweiler State Beach LA	2001-038	27
24 Mar 2003		Red Hill, Salton Sea IMP	2003-055	29	ph.
Little Gull – Not submitted
03 Dec 1972		s end Salton Sea IMP		14	AB 27:663
21 Nov 1989+		Stockton SJ			AB 44:157, see table entries 9-12
11 Apr 1995		Pigeon Pt. SM			FN 49:305
16–17 May 1995		Hayward Regional Shoreline ALA			FN 49:305
14 Nov 1995		Hayward Regional Shoreline ALA			FN 50:111
24 Nov 1997		ne Salton Sea RIV			FN 52:126
19 Apr 1999		China Lake KER			NAB 53:329
09 Mar 2000		Goleta Pt. SBA			NAB 54:327
17 Sep 2001		Mountain View SCL			NAB 56:102, 355

Figures

Figure 146. Striking blackish underwings bordered with gleaming white on the trailing edge leave no doubt about the identity of this adult Little Gull—the state’s first—photographed on 18 November 1968 at Mecca, Riverside County (1984-233; Arnold Small).

Figure 147. Distribution of 86 Little Gulls accepted through 2003. Records were heavily weighted toward the coast until the mid 1980s, but since that time records from the interior—the Salton Sea, in particular—have predominated.

Figure 148. Annual occurrence of the Little Gull in California from 1968 through 2003. Records increased sharply during the decade leading up to 1985, but have since held more-or-less steady.

Figure 149. Seasonal occurrence of the Little Gull in California. The species is found the year-round, but primarily November–May. Many overwintering birds leave by the end of March, and numerous spring migrants have been recorded, primarily March–May.

Figure 150. Bold diagonal slashes across the upperwing coverts and blackish outer webs to the primaries help to identify this first-winter Little Gull, photographed on 23 January 1975 at Zmudowski State Beach in Monterey County (1975-002; Ron LeValley).

Little Gull

LITTLE GULL Larus minutus Pallas, 1776

Accepted: 86 (92%)	Treated in Appendix H: yes
Not accepted: 7	CBRC review: all records
Not submitted/reviewed: 9	Color image: none

This gull, the world’s smallest, is primarily an Old World species that breeds in disjunct populations across central Eurasia. The main wintering grounds are among the British Isles, along Europe’s Atlantic coast, and around the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas, and records exist for eastern China. Mlodinow and O’Brien (1996) reviewed the New World status and distribution. In this part of the range, breeding has been local and sporadic—at least formerly—from Hudson Bay to the Great Lakes region. A few birds normally winter on the Great Lakes, but freezing conditions typically push the majority out by around December, and it appears that most of these birds move to the mid Atlantic states. Extralimital records are scattered across North America, but most are from the East and along the Pacific coast north to southern Alaska (Gibson et al. 2003). Southerly strays have reached Puerto Rico, Veracruz, and Colombia.

California’s first Little Gull, an adult present from 16 to 21 November 1968 at Mecca in Riverside County, made the cover of AFN 23(1), and the same image is included here as Figure 146. Only two more were found through 1976, but the species has since been recorded in the state almost annually (Figure 148), most often in flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls. Records are scattered throughout the year (Figure 149), but most have occurred between November and May. At the end of 1984, three out of every four Little Gulls (21 of 28) had been found on the coast, but since that time more than half (33 of 58) have been recorded inland, many of them at the Salton Sea (Figure 147). One or more Little Gulls returned to the sewage ponds at Stockton, San Joaquin County, for 11 consecutive years (1979–1989), mainly in winter and spring. Up to four birds were present in 1983 and 1986, but the CBRC cannot determine how many individuals were actually involved over the years.

Remarkably, Little Gulls in fresh juvenal plumage have twice been recorded in California—15 August 1981 at Crescent City in Del Norte County and 3–5 September 1984 at Lake Elsinore in Riverside County—suggesting that the species has nested in North America well to the west of its known breeding range. See also Appendix H.