Sightings:

• Black-headed Gull (adult). Winnipeg County, Manitoba. 02 April 2026.
• Great Black-backed Gull (adult & 1st cycle). Winnipeg County, Manitoba. 02 April 2026.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Winnipeg County, Manitoba. 08 April 2026.
• 2nd Provincial Record. 
• Western Gull (adult type). Mohave County, New Mexico. 10 April 2026.
• Western Gull (3rd cycle type). Davis County, Utah. 14 April 2026.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Fort McMurray, Alberta. 18 April 2026.
• 1st for the Fort Murray region. Same bird from southern Manitoba.* 
• Western Gull (1st cycle). Chaffee County, Colorado. 19 April 2026.
• KELP GULL (adult). Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. 19 April 2026.
• Returning now for at least year 3. Copulating with American Herring and nest-building.*
• Little Gull (2nd cycle). Accomack County, Virginia. 24 April 2025.
• California Gull (adult type). San Bernardino County, California. 25 April 2026.
• First for Morongo Valley since 2014.
• Ross's Gull (1st cycle). Lethbridge County, Alberta. 29 April 2026.

Notes: 

1. The Manitoba Slaty-backed Gull was found some 1,000 miles away in the Fort McMurray, Alberta area just eight days after it was last seen in Manitoba. This is a fascinating data point several reasons: 1) It is the first record for the Fort McMurray region, 2) It reinforces just how much distance gulls are capable of covering in a short period, and 3) The bird is presumably on a northwest trajectory, as it should be.  

2. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin Kelp Gull has returned for another breeding season. First detected in the summer of 2024 and well-documented in the summer of 2025, this is now year 3 of it nesting in an American Herring Gull colony. 

3. At least 3 Western Gulls were reported in the interior West this month, following a pattern of increased reports away from the Pacific Coast in recent years. Whether the species is undergoing a period of exploratory behavior that will evolve into range expansion, or simply coincidence, remains to be seen.