The Western gull population is stable in the region, but has lost some habitat to urban sprawl, so the birds are putting nests on buildings and homes.

A Western gull flies past the door of the recreation yard at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) ...

Figure 3 from "The First GPS Observation of a Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) Riding in a Long-Haul Garbage Transfer Truck." Courtesy of The Waterbird Society.

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas. At the city’s request, ...

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas. At the city’s request, ...

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas. At the city’s request, ...