Utah State Bird Information
Utah's state bird, the California gull, is a white bird with gray wings and a black tail tipped with white. The lower bill has a red mark with a black spot near the open edge. This is a migratory bird that floats on thermal updrafts.
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Legend
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In 1848, a devastating swarm of crickets attacked the fields of early Utah pioneers. Several flocks of the California gull arrived and gorged themselves on the fields, saving the pioneers from starvation.
Official Approval
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In 1955, Governor J. Bracken Lee signed the bill that claims the California gull as Utah's official State Bird.
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Habitat
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The California gull prefers to breed in the prairie states of the central United States and southern Canada near inland lakes and wetlands, spending winters on the Pacific Coast.
Range
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California gulls range from southern Northwest Territories of Canada to as far south as northern Mexico. They range from the Pacific coast inland to as far east as central North and South Dakota.
Food
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California gulls are opportunistic feeders, eating insects, eggs, fish, and anything in garbage dumps or near the docks.
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References
- Photo Credit Jyte, Tim/Wikipedia Commons.org
