The California gull, Larus californicus, was selected as the state bird of Utah by an act of the legislature in 1955 (Utah Code). H.B. 51 was sponsored by Representatives Richard C. Howe (D-Salt Lake) and Jaren L. Jones (R-Salt Lake). The bill was signed into law by Governor J. Bracken Lee on February 16, 1955.

No gull species is actually called a seagull or sea gull. Seagull is a generic term relating to all types of gulls. Some lawmakers objected to the bill because the type of gull found in Utah is scientifically known as the California gull. Representative Wendell Grover (D-Salt Lake) referred to an encyclopedia that listed only a “California seagull.” He suggested amending the bill to include the word “California.” Utah’s state code ultimately lists the state bird as the sea gull.

The California gull could be considered the state bird of Utah by common consent. The Miracle of the Gulls is credited with saving the people of the State by eating up hordes of Mormon crickets (katydids) which were destroying crops in 1848.

Orson F. Whitney said that in the midst of the devastation of the crickets, “when it seemed that nothing could stay the devastation, great flocks of gulls appeared, filling the air with their white wings and plaintive cries, and settled down upon the half-ruined fields. fields. All day long they gorged themselves, and when full, disgorged and feasted again, the white gulls upon the black crickets, list hosts of heaven and hell contending, until the pests were vanquished and the people were saved.” After devouring the crickets, the gulls returned “to the lake islands whence they came.”

Whitney, Orson Ferguson, 1855-1931. (P. 423 digital, P. 400 print) Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle: The Father and Founder of the British Mission. Salt Lake City: published by the Kimball family, 1888 printed at the Juvenile Instructor Office, https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/53dca806-f26e-4965-a7b6-cbd5ac681345/0/422?lang=eng 

The Seagull Monument on Temple Square in Salt Lake City honors the gull. Two sculptured gulls stand atop the monument which was unveiled in 1913. Mahonri MacKintosh Young sculpted the monument.

The California gull is about two feet long and is considered a medium sized gull. They can fly, walk, run, swim, and dive. Juveniles are mottled brown and white with pink legs and dark bills. As they grow, their heads turn white and their legs and bills have a bluish tint. Breeding adults have white heads, medium grey backs and upper wings, and black wingtips with white spots. They have yellow or greenish-yellow legs, dark eyes, yellow bills with a black ring, and a red spot on their lower bill. They weigh between 1 and 2.5 pounds with a wingspan of 48 to 54 inches. Aeronautic wizards, gulls are gymnasts of the sky, making the seemingly impossible appear effortless. They can appear motionless in midair by catching wind currents with perfect timing and precision while positioning their bodies at just the right angle. 

California Gull Scientific Classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Species: L. californicus

They can be found in Alaska and The North, California, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Texas, and Western Canada. California gulls are migratory birds. Most move to  western California’s Pacific coast in winter. 

California gulls nest in colonies around lakes and marshes. Both parents build the nest in the open or near shrubs. The female usually lays 1 to 4 eggs. Both parents take turns feeding their chicks.

They are generally considered quite beneficial by agriculturalists, and are usually gentle creatures, exhibiting neither antagonism to nor fondness for people. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can catch or scavenge, from insects to garbage. They occasionally steal food from people and other birds.