Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni), the large reclaimed water pond south of the Willcox golf course, Cochise County

This immature Heermann's Gull was discovered by Molly Pollock and photographed by Mark Stevenson on 28 October 2009.

Heermann's Gull is a casual visitant to Arizona from the Gulf of California, with most of the records from late fall and none has ever stayed more than one day. 

If you see a chocolate gull in Arizona, it is likely this species. The light was poor, which makes evaluating the exact placement of the bird in the molt cycle difficult.

28 October 2009, photo by Mark Stevenson