Description: This is a key to only the more common animals you may see using the remote cameras on Race Rocks. Use the taxonomy files to view others you may sight.

Go to the Race Rocks Taxonomy for more detailed descriptions of the organisms.

Number	.	Go to / and Identify
1a	Bird	2
1b	Mammal	30
2a	Gull-like, white or brown	3
2b	Non-gull	11
3a	The Largest white-headed gull we see at Race Rocks. It is present March to October	Glaucous- winged gull
3b	Other gulls	4
4a	Present in large flocks – November to January. Colour white with beige-tinged flecks	Thayer’s gulls
4b	Other gulls	5
5a	White – smaller head with an outlined eye	Mew gulls
5b	Other gulls	6
6a	Small white-headed gulls with black eyes and small black markings over the body. Often seen in flocks diving into the water… Aug to Dec.	Bonaparte’s gulls
6b	Brown or dark grey gull.	7
7a	Grey gull, short tail	Immature Glaucous winged gull
7b	Brown gulls	8
8a	Brown mottled. appear November thru Feb.	Immature Thayer’s gulls
8b	Brown Gull with orange beak. adults have white markings on the tail.	Heerman’s Gull
9a	For future additions.
9b
10a
10b	NOTE : We are adding more birds frequently so they can not be anticipated in a key like this. Other gulls and shorebirds added since this key was made may be viewed in the Race Rocks Taxonomy files .. vertebrata-Aves-Charadriiformes

11a	Predominantly black, long-necked bird:one of the 3 cormorant species	12
11b	Birds other than gulls or cormorants: otherwise, all other shorebirds and land birds on Race Rocks.	14
12a	Pale or yellow coloured face – present only during winter months	Double-crested cormorant
12b	Predominantly black face	13
13a	Light-coloured throat patch, males with white ears – present in January	Brandts’ cormorant
13b	Snake-like neck, smallest of the cormorants	Pelagic cormorant
14a	Black with white wing patches and red feet	Pigeon guillimot
14b	Other shorebirds and landbirds and ducks/geese	15.
15a	Shorebirds.and ducks/geese	16
15b	Land birds.. shorter bills	21
16a	Black with long red bill.. crow-sized	Black oyster-catcher
16b	ducks or geese and other shorebirds	17
17a	Small shorebird, often seen in winter near the fresh water pools. White breast, uppers mottled.black and white pattern in flight	Black turnstone
17b	Duck or goose or land birds	18
18a	Small colourful duck..swimming in kelp beds or perched very near shore	Harlequin Duck
18b	Geese and other birds	19
19a	Geese	20
19b	Other birds	21
20a	Large Goose, Black neck with white throat. Nests in April	Canada Goose
20b	Half the size of the Canada goose, only rarely appears. white neck-ring and black chest.	Black Brant Goose
21a	Black- Crow-like bird	22
21b	Other birds,and songbirds	24
22a	Large black bird with thick bill. They are as large as Glaucous-winged gulls	Raven
22b	Medium sized black bird smaller than Glaucous winged gulls.	go to 23
23a	Large black bird , the bill is finer than a raven’s	North-western Crow
23b	Small balckish bird, speckled with color	European Starling
24a	Very Large brown and white bird with a long bill equipped with a pouch	Brown Pelican
24b	Other shorebirds	go to 25
25a	Long legged, and long necked bird… heron -like	Great Blue Heron
25b	Other shorebirds	go to 26
26	Brown shorebird with long bill curved downward. Brown eye- line.	Whimbrel

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30a	Always found in water, with fins, and a large, flat, two-pointed tail – Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises	31
30b	Often found resting on land or on rocks – size of a dog or larger	37
31a	Black with a large white patch on the belly, greater than 4m long, males with large dorsal fin (1m high or greater)	Orca, Killer whale
31b	Not black or without white patches	32
32a	Smaller, light grey colour, flippers smooth on edges	Gray whale
32b	Other marine mammals	33
33a	Large whale, dark grey to black, with distinct ridged underbelly, flippers jagged on edges. usually seen solitary.	Humpback whale ” alt=”humpback” width=”129″ height=”107″ border=”2″ />
33b	Small porpoise often seen in pods, leaping in the waves.	Dall’s Porpoise
34a	spare room for future whales and porpoises. See the taxonomy for other species that have been sighted near Race Rocks
34b
37a	Lie prone on land, rocks, or very shallow water; when swimming, are mostly submerged – Earless seals	38
37b	May be sitting on their elbows or lying prone on land; often visible swimming in the water; colour beige through chocolate.	39
38a	White through black colouration, may have young from April through July	Harbour seal
38b	May be very large; length up to 4m; males have a bulbous nose; colour grey through chocolate.. present year round.Females smaller, usually on the top of middle rock, but not year round.	Elephant seal
39a	Small; furry animals the size of a cat or dog	Otters go to 41
39b	Sea lions	40
40a	High-browed; chocolate coloured	California sea lion
40b	Round forehead; light beige coloured; may be twice as large as California sea lion	Northern sea lion (Steller’s sea lion)
41a	Small; long tail; runs on all fours on land may appear as serpent-like in water.	River otter
41b	Small: always in the water,often  lies in kelp beds on back	sea otter