Photo: Laura Gaudette / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-footed Gull
Larus livens
Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) is a member of the Laridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 1.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Genus Larus
- Species livens
Where it lives
Islets in Gulf of California, from Roca Consag to La Paz Bay
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.3 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Laridae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-footed Gull is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Yellow-footed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) belongs to the Laridae family of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA islets in Gulf of California, from Roca Consag to La Paz Bay.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.3 kg, with a wing length of about 40.4 cm and a tail of around 15.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 74,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-footed Gull?
The Yellow-footed Gull is a very large bird that weighs around 1.3 kg.
Where does the Yellow-footed Gull live?
The Yellow-footed Gull is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA islets in Gulf of California, from Roca Consag to La Paz Bay, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Yellow-footed Gull belong to?
The Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Yellow-footed Gull eat?
The Yellow-footed Gull is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Yellow-footed Gull migrate?
The Yellow-footed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Yellow-footed Gull endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Yellow-footed Gull make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-footed Gull — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-footed Gull's range?
The Yellow-footed Gull has a mapped global range of about 74,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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