A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Types of Gulls

American ​Herring Gull​
American ​Herring Gull​

The American herring gull or Smithsonian gull (Larus smithsonianus or Larus argentatus smithsonianus) is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithologists' Union as a subspecies of herring gull (L. argentatus).

Andean Gull​
Andean Gull​

The Andean gull (Chroicocephalus serranus) is a species of gull in the family Laridae. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. It is found in the Andes in mountainous regions of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

image: antpitta.com
Armenian Gull​
Armenian Gull​

The Armenian gull is a fairly large gull species, though is on average the smallest of the "herring gull" complex. It can range from 52 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in), from 120 to 145 cm (47 to 57 in) across the wings and weighs from 600 to 960 g (1.32 to 2.12 lb).

Audouin's Gull​
Audouin's Gull​

The Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific audouinii and the English name are after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin.

Belcher's Gull​
Belcher's Gull​

Belcher's gull (Larus belcheri), also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on the Atlantic coast of South America and is now accepted as Larus atlanticus.

Black-Billed ​Gull​
Black-Billed ​Gull​

The black-billed gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri), also known as Buller's gull, is a species of gull in the family Laridae. It is found only in New Zealand.

image: doc.govt.nz
Black-Headed ​Gull​
Black-Headed ​Gull​

Some black-headed gulls also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the common black-headed gull. As is the case with many gulls, it was previously placed in the genus Larus. The genus name Chroicocephalus is from Ancient Greek khroizo, "to colour", and kephale, "head".

image: audubon.org
Black-Legged ​Kittiwake​
Black-Legged ​Kittiwake​

The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus. The English name is derived from its call, a shrill 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake'.

Black-Tailed ​Gull​
Black-Tailed ​Gull​

The gulls are very tame and are a popular local tourist attraction. Around 5,000 birds also nest at Fumi-shima in Shimane Prefecture near Izumo Shrine, and there is a large colony at Teuri Island in Hokkaido. In North America. A rare visitor to the United States, a black-tailed gull was spotted from Burlington, Vermont, in October 2005.

Bonaparte's ​Gull​
Bonaparte's ​Gull​

Bonaparte's gull is a member of the gull family Laridae found mainly in northern North America. At 28 to 38 cm in length, it is one of the smallest species of gull. Its plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts. During breeding season, Bonaparte's gull gains a slate-grey hood. The sexes are similar in appearance.

image: birdspix.com
Brown-​Headed Gull​
Brown-​Headed Gull​

The brown-headed gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus) is a small gull which breeds in the high plateaus of central Asia from Tajikistan to Ordos in Inner Mongolia. It is migratory, wintering on the coasts and large inland lakes of the Indian Subcontinent. As is the case with many gulls, was traditionally placed in the genus Larus.

Brown-​Hooded Gull​
Brown-​Hooded Gull​

The brown-hooded gull (Chroicocephalus maculipennis) is a species of gull found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and Uruguay. Its specific epithet, maculipennis, means 'spotted wings' (macula + penna).

image: antpitta.com
California Gull​
California Gull​

The California Gull is a medium-sized gull with a round head. The bill is slender compared to other gull species. In flight the wings are long and pointed.

image: audubon.org
Caspian Gull​
Caspian Gull​

"What is a Caspian Gull?" is one of the most frequent questions asked of us at BirdGuides. This question is answered by Dick Newell who spends significant amounts of time looking at Caspian Gulls in Cambridgeshire. This is one of the best winters ever for Caspian Gulls; there are large numbers in Germany now, some of which are perhaps headed our way - so Dick's article provides you with plenty ...

Common Gull​
Common Gull​

Adult common gulls are 40–46 cm (16–18 in) long, noticeably smaller than the herring gull and slightly smaller than the ring-billed gull. It is further distinguished from the ring-billed gull by its shorter, more tapered bill, which is a more greenish shade of yellow and is unmarked during the breeding season.

Dolphin Gull​
Dolphin Gull​

The dolphin gull (Leucophaeus scoresbii), sometimes erroneously called the red-billed gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New Zealand), is a gull native to southern Chile and Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.

image: flickr.com
European ​Herring Gull​
European ​Herring Gull​

The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large gull (up to 26 in (66 cm) long). One of the best known of all gulls along the shores of western Europe, it was once abundant. It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic states.

Franklin's Gull​
Franklin's Gull​

A small, black-headed gull of the prairies, the Franklin's Gull is a common sight in the interior of North America, following plows to eat exposed worms, insects, and mice.

image: audubon.org
Glaucous Gull​
Glaucous Gull​

The glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) is a large gull, the second largest gull in the world which breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winters south to shores of the Holarctic. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird.

image: audubon.org
Glaucous-​Winged Gull​
Glaucous-​Winged Gull​

Large white-headed gull with pale gray wingtips and pink legs. Breeding adult has entirely white head and underparts, and a red spot on the lower bill. Breeding adult has entirely white head and underparts, and a red spot on the lower bill.

Great Black-​Backed Gull​
Great Black-​Backed Gull​

The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), mistakenly called greater black-backed gull by some, is the largest member of the gull family. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and is fairly sedentary, though some move farther south or inland to large lakes or reservoirs.

Grey Gull​
Grey Gull​

The grey gull (Leucophaeus modestus) is a medium-sized gull native to South America. Unusual among gulls, it breeds inland in the extremely dry Atacama Desert in northern Chile, although it is present as a non-breeding bird along much of the Pacific coast of South America.

image: hotel-r.net
Grey-Headed ​Gull​
Grey-Headed ​Gull​

The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is more widespread in winter. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to North America, Italy and Spain.

Hartlaub's Gull​
Hartlaub's Gull​

Hartlaub's gull has accommodated well to humans, and can become very tame around habitations. It is an omnivore like most larus gulls, and they will scavenge at tips and feed on scraps as well as seeking suitable small prey, often by wading in shallow water.

Heermann's ​Gull​
Heermann's ​Gull​

The Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) is a gull resident in the United States, Mexico and extreme southwestern British Columbia, nearly all nesting on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California. They are usually found near shores or well out to sea, very rarely inland.

Heuglin's Gull​
Heuglin's Gull​

Heuglin's Gull in flight, Vasai, Maharashtra, India Heuglin's gull or Siberian gull (Larus fuscus heuglini) is a seabird in the genus Larus. It is sometimes considered as a separate species (Larus heuglini) but is now usually treated as a subspecies of the lesser black-backed gull.

Iceland Gull​
Iceland Gull​

The Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides) is a medium size gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland; although not in Iceland (as its name suggests), where it is only seen during winter.

Kelp Gull​
Kelp Gull​

The kelp gull superficially resembles two gulls from further north in the Atlantic Ocean, the lesser black-backed gull and the great black-backed gull and is intermediate in size between these two species.

Laughing Gull​
Laughing Gull​

The laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. The genus name Leucophaeus is from Ancient Greek leukos, "white", and phaios, "dusky". The specific atricilla is from Latin ater, "black", and cilla, "tail".

Lava Gull​
Lava Gull​

The lava gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus), also known as the dusky gull, is a medium-sized gull and a member of the "hooded gull" group. It is most closely related to the Laughing gull and Franklin's gull and is the rarest gull in the world.

Lesser Black-​Backed Gull​
Lesser Black-​Backed Gull​

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe.It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa.

image: audubon.org
Little Gull​
Little Gull​

The smallest gull in the world, the Little Gull is common across Eurasia. A few pairs have been nesting in North America since the 1960s, and the species is now a rare, but regular, visitor to the East Coast and the Great Lakes.

Mediterranean ​Gull​
Mediterranean ​Gull​

The Mediterranean gull is slightly larger and bulkier than the black-headed gull with a heavier bill and longer, darker legs. The breeding plumage adult is a distinctive white gull, with a very pale grey mantle and wings with white primary feathers without black tips.

Olrog's Gull​
Olrog's Gull​

Olrog’s gull is a large gull with a white head, neck, rump, breast and belly. The back and wings are black except for a white trailing edge to the wings. The tail is white with a broad black band at the back.

Pacific Gull​
Pacific Gull​

The Pacific gull (Larus pacificus) is a very large gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and Sydney in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a result of competition from the kelp gull, which has "self-introduced" since the 1940s.

Pallas's Gull​
Pallas's Gull​

The Pallas's gull or great black-headed gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) is a large gull. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle".

Red-Legged ​Kittiwake​
Red-Legged ​Kittiwake​

The red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in the Pribilof Islands, Bogoslof Island and Buldir Island in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, and the Commander Islands, Russia and spends the winter at sea.

Relict Gull​
Relict Gull​

The relict gull or Central Asian gull is a medium-sized gull. It was believed to be an eastern race of the Mediterranean gull until 1971 and was traditionally placed in the genus Larus.

Ring-Billed ​Gull​
Ring-Billed ​Gull​

Often the most common and widespread gull in North America, especially inland, and numbers are probably still increasing. Sociable at all seasons; concentrations at nesting colonies or at winter feeding sites may run into the tens of thousands.

source: audubon.org
image: audubon.org
Sabine's Gull​
Sabine's Gull​

Sabine's gull flying at the fjord Trygghamna in Spitsbergen. Photographed by Shlomo Yona. The Sabine's gull is a small gull, 27 to 33 cm (11–13 in) in length and weighing 135 to 225 g (4.8–7.9 oz).

Saunders's ​Gull​
Saunders's ​Gull​

Saunders's gull or the Chinese black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus saundersi) is a species of gull in the family Laridae. It is found in China, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Silver Gull​
Silver Gull​

The silver gull should not be confused with the herring gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, Dutch zilvermeeuw), but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range.

Slaty-Backed ​Gull​
Slaty-Backed ​Gull​

The slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus) is a large white-headed gull that breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. It is similar in appearance to the western gull and the glaucous-winged gull.

image: audubon.org
Slender-Billed ​Gull​
Slender-Billed ​Gull​

The slender-billed gull (Chroicocephalus genei) is a mid-sized gull which breeds very locally around the Mediterranean and the north of the western Indian Ocean (e.g. Pakistan) on islands and coastal lagoons.

Sooty Gull​
Sooty Gull​

The sooty gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii) is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull.

Thayer's Gull​
Thayer's Gull​

Thayer's gull (Larus glaucoides thayeri) is a subspecies of the Iceland gull. It is a large gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and winters primarily on the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska to the Gulf of California, though there are also wintering populations on the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River.

Vega Gull​
Vega Gull​

Vega gull (Larus vegae The Vega gull is similar to the herring gull but is slightly darker grey above. The head of the Vega gull is heavily streaked with brown in winter, especially on the back and sides of the neck forming a collar.

image: birdspix.com
Western Gull​
Western Gull​

The western gull (Larus occidentalis) is a large white-headed gull that lives on the west coast of North America. It was previously considered conspecific with the yellow-footed gull (Larus livens) of the Gulf of California.

White-Eyed ​Gull​
White-Eyed ​Gull​

The white-eyed gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) is a small gull which is endemic to the Red Sea. Its closest relative is the sooty gull. It is one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of just 4,000 – 6,500 pairs. The species is classed as Near Threatened by the IUCN; human pressure and oil pollution are deemed the major threats.

image: pbase.com
Yellow-Footed ​Gull​
Yellow-Footed ​Gull​

The yellow-footed gull (Larus livens) is a large gull, closely related to the western gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s. It is endemic to the Gulf of California.

image: audubon.org