November 2025 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• California Gull (adult). Logan County, Ohio. 02 November 2025.
• Laughing Gull (3rd cycle type). Clallam County, Washington. 03 November 2025.
• Little Gull (adult). Klickitat County, Washington & Sherman County, Oregon. 07 November 2025.
• Little Gull (adult). Davis County, Utah. 10 November 2025.
• Thayer's Gull (adult). La Matanie County, Quebec. 10 November 2025.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Hamilton County, Tennessee. 12 November 2025.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Marquette County, Michigan. 13 November 2025.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (adult). Jefferson County, Kansas. 19 November 2025.
• Gray Gull (adult type). Walton County, Florida. 20 November 2025.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Saskatoon County, Saskatchewan. 22 November 2025.
• Short-billed Gull (adult). Crawford County, Arkansas. 23 November 2025.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Seminole County, Florida. 23 November 2025.
• 1st County Record.
• Little Gull (adult). San Luis Obispo County, California. 23 November 2025.
• Yellow-footed Gull (adult). San Francisco County, California. 24 November 2025.
• California Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. 27 November 2025.
• Continuing 1st Province Record from last month.

Notes:

1. Pueblo County, Colorado is again hosting an adult Great Black-backed Gull for the 32nd year. It's presumed this is a returning bird, named Murray, although there is probably no way to be positively sure.
2. A site record high of 66 Short-billed Gulls was recorded on Southeast Farallon Island in San Francisco County on 23 November 2025.
3. A state high of 848 Lesser Black-backed Gulls was recorded at Findlay Reservoirs in Hancock County, Ohio on 20 November 2025. 

October 2025 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Little Gull (adult). Lyman County, South Dakota. 03 October 2025.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). North Slope Borough, Alaska. 07 October 2025.
• California Gull (adult). Berrien County, Michigan. 10 October 2025.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Grant County, Washington. 12 October 2025.
• Continuing.
• Great Black-backed Gull (adult type). Keith County, Nebraska. 13 October 2025.
• Continuing.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Stafford County, Kansas. 13 October 2025.
• Largely juvenile.
• Common Gull (adult). Knox County, Maine. 14 October 2025.
• California Gull (4th cycle type). Cape May County, New Jersey. 14 October 2025.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult type). King County, Washington. 15 October 2025.
• Present since June 2024.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Sitka City & Borough, Alaska. 16 October 2025.
• California Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. 17 October 2025.
• A long overdue 1ST PROVINCE RECORD.
• Gray Gull (adult type). Walton County, Florida. 27 October 2025.
• Positive reports all month.
• Short-billed Gull (adult). Clay County, Missouri. 29 October 2025.
• 4th State Record.

Featured Highlights November 2025

Welcome to Featured Highlights, November 2025. This video series aims to highlight ideas found in The Gull Guide - North America. I'll be expanding on and detailing concepts you're reading about in the book, beginning with establishing a foundation for molt and plumage, and hopefully apply some of these ideas to identification. 

An obvious element of gull ID rests in how we perceive and describe the varied patterns found in their plumages, particularly their upperparts. This is not unique to gulls, but it seems to weigh on beginners as they familiarize themselves with the creative words used in the literature. Video 11 discusses some of the patterns that we find on the scapulars, wing coverts and tertials of young, large-whited gulls in 1st cycle.

Click on thumbnail above and watch in HD

Requests and Suggestions to thegullguide@gmail.com