The Yellow-footed Gull is typically found in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and the Salton Sea of Southern California. However, gulls wander — especially young gulls.
In 2021 and 2022 two long-staying sub-adult Yellow-footed were found in New Mexico and in late 2023 and into 2024 another sub-adult was found in Amarillo, Texas. I staked out the location of this bird for about 8 hours over 2 days and was rewarded with a short flyover. Additional photos are shown below.
