Some ID topics are too complex to be covered in five photos and a few hundred words. Among large gulls, for example, it would take more than a dozen photos to show important plumages of just one species and dozens more to compare similar species. So in this column we focus on tips, hoping to shed light on specific points seen in the field. California Gull is a common nesting bird in the interior of the western United States and western Canada, wintering mainly on the Pacific coast. East of the plains, it is always a rare find but always possible, so birders everywhere in North America have reason to be aware of it.
NSTL
