Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens

Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens. A common resident of Loreto, Baja California Sur.

Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, January 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens. Photograph taken off the “beach” in Agua Verde, Baja California Sur, March 2020. Photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California.

The Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens, is a member of the Laridae Family of Gulls, Terns and Skimmers.. They are mid-sized in stature. In Mexico they have a limited range being found on offshore islands within the Sea of Cortez as far south as Isla La Gaviota, Baja California Sur. They are also known to be seasonal residents in the States of Guerrero and Oaxaca. From a conservation perspective the Yellow-footed Gull is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are found almost exclusively near rocky inlets with good visibility and sea views in close proximity to the high tide line. They forage in tidal areas, the intertidal zone, at sea and along exposed beaches. They are a generalist predator and scavenger on deep-water and intertidal marine fishes and invertebrates.