Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Leucophaeus ("dusky white") pipixcan (Nahuatl word for a type of gull)

Adult Breeding plumage Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) in Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 200-300g  /  Length: 32-36cm  /  Wingspan: 85-95cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

An endemic breeder to the Great Plains and unusually for Gulls, rarely seen at the Coast in North America, except on passage. At the beginning of the breeding season they develop a faint pink tint on the chest and abdomen but the pigments decay over time and it is generally lost by the end of the breeding season. 

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Leucophaeus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Breeds on central prairies
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta in the vicinity of Lake Saskatoon

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") heermanni (named for Adolphus Heermann)

Non-breeding Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 371-643g  /  Length: 43-49cm  /  Wingspan: 104-115cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Heermann's Gull is by many metrics an oddity among Larus gulls -its the only species in which the normally white breast and head are a silvery grey and also the only species with an all red beak. It also is incredibly selective about where it breeds, with 90%+ of the World's population breeding solely on Isla Rasa in the Gul of Mexico - a 0.21 square mile island otherwise noted for "three small ponds and a small shed" which unfortunately makes them extremely vulnerable to catastrophic events like disease, climate or natural disaster.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Non-breeding visitor to Coastal California, and in lower numbers in Washington and Oregon
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Monterey

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") occidentalis ("western")

Adult Western Gull (subspecies L. o. occidentalis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Laris occidentalis occidentalis
Weight: 1000g  /  Length: 55-68cm  /  Wingspan: 130-144cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large and almost entirely coastal species of gull, the Western Gull was the most commonly seen gull species during my visit to California. They share the versatility of many gull species in terms of feeding in terms of scavenging, but are also known to be actively predatory to birds when the opportunity arises. Further North they regularly hybridise with Glaucous-winged Gull to produce a hybrid known as the "Olympic Gull" which in the intergrade zone of the two species proves to be very successful.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: L. o. occidentalis, L. o. wymani

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Resident on the coasts of California, Washington and Oregon
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley, Monterey and on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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California Gull (Larus californicus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") californicus ("of California")

 
Adult California Gull (Larus californicus) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: -Unclear-
Weight: 430-1045g  /  Length: 46-55cm  /  Wingspan: 122-137cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the name, the California Gull actually has the bulk of its breeding range in Canada, and aside from the North-East most corner of the state is primarily a non-breeding migrant to its namesake. They are the State Bird of Utah, on account of an event where a huge flock appearing and consuming a huge swarm of crickets that was destroying the crops of Mormon Pioneers in Salt Lake Valley, which is named "the Mircale of the Gulls".

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: L. c. californicus, L. c. albertaensis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A patchy breedin range in the North West of the Lower 48, Wintering on the West Coast.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  Berkeley and on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") delawarensis ("of the Delaware river")

 
Adult Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300-700g  /  Length: 43-54cm  /  Wingspan: 105-117cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

An incredibly widely distributed and adaptable gull species which can be found in any part of the lower 48, it represents one of the smaller Larus species. They are an adaptable species that has succeeded in many human created habitats, and is also traditionally one of the North American species that has the biggest history of vagrancy to Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Northern States, Winters in Coastl and Southern Ones
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward and Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)

OTHER NAMES: Black-backed Gull, Southern Black-backed Gull, Mollyhawk, Karoro
Latin Etymology: Larus ("Gull") dominicanus (black and white, in allusion to Dominican Friars)

Second Summer Kelp Gull (subspecies Larus dominicanus vetula) at Grafham Water - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Cape Gull (Larus dominicanus vetula)
Weight: 900-1000g

Length: 54-65cm

Wingspan: 128-142cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

I must admit, had I not seen reports of this bird near to me, I would never have noticed it in the field on my own - very similar in appearance to the Great Black Backed gull and not previously recorded in the UK! To more trained eyes than mine however, the gentler face and the long blue-tinged legs were enough to identify this as a species more typically found roaming the Souther hemisphere where itis found along the coasts of Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and even Antarctica.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus

SUBSPECIES: L. d. dominicanus, L. d. vetula, L. d. austrinus, L. d. judithae, L. d. melisandae

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - This bird is the first known vagrant to rhe UK

 - A vagrant bird at Grafham Water in August 2022

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto 

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Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Chroicocephalus ("colour head") philadelphia ("Philadelphia")

Adult in transitional plumage of Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) at Oare Marshes, Kent - July 2018

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 210g  /  Length: 43-53cm  /  Wingspan: 76-84cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Bonaparte's Gull is a small gull species found primarily across North America, though it is a reasonably frequent vagrant to the UK.  Despite the obvious expectation, it is not named for Napoleon Bonaparte but rather his nephew, Charles Lucien Bonaparte a naturalist and ornithologist in his own right.  It is much more notably migratory than most UK species, breeding in the Northern parts of North America including Alaska and Canada and then moving down south to Winter.  This particular individual seems to have maintained this pattern - a single bird that has recurred year after year at Oare Marshes that I have never got to catching up with until now.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Chroicocephalus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant

 - An annually recurring vagrant individual seen at Oare Marshes in July 2018.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Alternate Latin Name: Larus audouinii
Latin Etymology: Ichthyaetus ("fish eagle") audouinii (named for naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin)

Adult Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) at Capo Murro di Porco, Sicily, Italy - May 2018

Featured Subspecies - N/A
Weight: 770g  /  Length: 44-52cm  /  Wingspan: 117-128cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large graceful gull found mainly in the Mediterranean. It is unique among large European gull species for having a red bill and also has an unusual soft edges to the grey sections.  It is also notably a notable success story in terms of recovering from 1000 pairs in 1975 to over 21000 currently, along with colonising new places.  However, it still remains vulnerable in that 67% of the World's population breeds at only a single site - the Ebro Delta in Spain, which makes in vulnerable should something happen there.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Ichthyaetus or Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

ITALY - Italian -  Gabbiano Corso ("Tide Gull")

A rare breeder

 - SICILY 2018 TRIP - Seen from Capo Murro di Porco 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)

OTHER NAMES: Steppe Gull, Pontic Gull

Latin Etymology: Larus ("Gull") cachinnans ("laughing")

Third Winter Caspian Gull (subspecies  L. c. cachinnans) at Thames Barrier Park - February 2017

Featured Subspecies: Larus cachinnans cachinnans
Weight: 680-1500g  /  Length: 56-68cm  /  Wingspan: 137-155cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

 In some ways, I have found the Caspian Gull to be one of the most vexing species to catch up with despite having visited a number of sites which are good for them in a number of counties.  Looking at this bird the reasons should perhaps be obvious, this is a species which very closely resembles the far more common Herring Gull.  Indeed, it was only comparatively recently that it was recognised as it's own species at all and even some fairly up to date bird books will not include them.  While they are a regular Wintering species in the UK in small numbers it tends to be in places which host large numbers of gulls anyway - often near land fill sites where picking out the subtle features of this species among legions of assorted other gulls species is a daunting prospect.  I advise reading up online to get a greater understanding of the features which include a long beak, small dark eyes, long legs and other assorted things is key to this, although I must admit that the final thing that let me get this species was finding out about a reliable site that offered close views and running into a generous birder who pointed out this individual to me.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: L. c. cachinnans, L. c. barabensis*, L. c. mongolicus*

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM -  An uncommon Winter visitor

 - Single bird seen at Thames Barrier Park (February 2017)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto

*Sometimes considered their own species .

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") glaucescens ("blueish-grey")

Adult Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) with Four Slaty-backed Gull at Akkeshi, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 750-1600g  /  Length: 50-68cm  /  Wingspan: 120-150cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Glaucous-winged Gull is another Herring-Gull sized species, in this instance the clear defining feature is that it's wing-tip feathers are patterned with grey rather than with black (as in Herring, Vega, Lesser Black Backed etc) or being pure white (as in Glaucous Gulls and Iceland Gulls).   It is another North Pacific species, breeding from the Bering Sea to Oregon, but spreading as far as Mexico and Japan to Winter.  It didn't seem especially numerous on my visit, while I don't claim to have closely examined all the large gulls I saw (of which there were many) it was definitely Slaty-backed which dominated in Hokkaido.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ワシカモメ  /  Washi kamome  ("Eagle gull")

Widespread Winter Migrant to Northern Japan

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Single adult seen at Akkeshi associating with the more common Slaty-backed Gulls

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") schistisagus ("slate cloak")

Adult Winter Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Spain - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 1-1.7kg  /  Length: 55-68.5cm  /  Wingspan: 132-160cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Slaty-backed Gull is a fairly standard sort of Larus gull visually - pink legs like a Herring Gull and a dark back like a Lesser Black-backed.  What I found fairly striking about the individuals that I got a close look at was how the darkened area around the eye and the fairly stocky build gave it a slight air of aggression that I'd normally associate with something like a Glaucous gull.  When it sits on a post above you, eyeing you up there is a bit of a hint of it trying to decide whether to try and eat you.  I found Slaty-backed Gulls abundant in Hokkaido, replacing the Vega Gulls which had been the most common species in Tokyo.  There was actually within the period I've been making this blog a Slaty-backed visitor to Britain, including visiting the landfill adjacent to Rainham which is a site I've frequented before.  However, given the quality of this view of this species in Japan, I'm glad I didn't bother then.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - オオセグロカモメ  /  ō se-guro kamome  ('large black-backed gull')  

Common Winter Migrant to Hokkaido and Northern Japan

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant on Hokkaido Coast, dozens seen at each of Akkeshi, Kushiro and Shiranuka

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris)

OTHER NAMES: Japanese Gull, Temminck's Gull

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") crassirostris ("heavy billed")

Adult Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) with Vega Gull and Japanese Cormorants at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 430-640g  /  Length: 46cm  /  Wingspan: 126-128cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Black-tailed Gull is the most common large gull of Japan, it is resident all year while the other Larus species are largely Winter visitors.  They are a fair bit smaller than Herring-gull types however, probably a little closer to the Common Gull.  In Japan they are known as "umi-neko" which means "sea-cat" due to their cat like call.  I glimpsed a few of what was almost certainly this species from the train during my first visit to Japan, but had clearer views of them in the Tokyo area.  They were not in evidence in the sites we visited in Hokkaido, presumably replaced by the four larger Larus species that were.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None (Monotypic)

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese: ウミネコ / umi-neko ("Sea-cat")

Widespread and Fairly Common Coastal Resident

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Seen distantly from the bridge approaching the airport at Osaka

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Several seen at Kamakura and a single bird at Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Vega Gull (Larus vegae)

OTHER NAMES: East Siberian Gull, East Siberian Herring Gull

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") vegae (after Swedish exploration vessel "Vega")

Two adult Vega Gull (Larus vegae) on the roof of Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1-1.5kg  /  Length: 55-67cm  /  Wingspan: 125-155cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Vega Gull is the East Asian equivalent of the Herring Gull, and was until fairly recently considered to be a subspecies of that group.  Unlike the Herring Gull in the UK however, in Japan it is primarily a Winter visitor.  However, it seems to generally be more closely tied to water at this point, generally being found along rivers and coasts.   In the north of the country it seems to be displaced as the most common large gull species by the Slaty Backed Gull.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - 背グローかもめ  /  Seguro-kamome ("Black-backed Gull")

Widespread Winter Migrant

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Small numbers seen at Kamakura and Tsukiji Fish Market

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") glaucoides ("glaucous resembling")

First Winter Iceland Gull (subspecies L. g. glaucoides) at Rushton Landfull, Northamptonshire - February 2021

Featured Subspecies: Larus glaucoides glaucoides
Weight: 480-1100g  /  Length: 50-64cm  /  Wingspan: 115-150cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Along with the Glaucous Gull, the Iceland Gull is one of the two species that turn up in the UK having spent the summer in the arctic.  It only turns up in fairly small numbers, on average probably less than 100 are present at any one time.  The key identification feature to pick out either of the Arctic Gulls is the lack on any black anywhere on them - including at the tops of the wing.  Like Glaucous, a juvenile will be a biscuity sort of colour all over, a second winter almost pure white (as seen above) and an adult then gains a pale grey back.  Unlike the Glaucous which is huge with a brutish appearance, the proportions of Iceland Gull make it look gentle - along the lines of a Common Gull, but bigger.  Iceland Gulls are best searched for in large gull roosts - often near landfill sites where they commute to feed, during the Winter.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: Debated: either none or L. g. glaucoides and L. g. kumlieni, and possibly L. g. thayeri

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") hyperboreus ("Northern")

Top: Adult Glaucous Gull (subspecies L. h. pallidissimus) at Akkeshi, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Bottom: First Winter Glaucous Gull (subspecies L. h. leucretes) at Ditchford Gravel Pits, Northamptonshire - December 2011

Featured Subspecies Larus hyperboreus pallidissimus & Larus hyperboreus leucretes
Weight: 860-2700g  /  Length: 55-77cm  /  Wingspan: 132-170cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The glaucous gull is a huge gull, being the only UK species to rival the Great Black Backed for size.   It, along with the iceland gull aren't resident, but turn up in small numbers each winter across the country, often mixed in with flocks of other gulls.  It is possibly most often the first and second years which turn up, and the key identification features, along with the huge size, are the uniform "milky tea" colouration without any black on the wingtips.  Due to their scarcity, you will probably require a fair bit of luck to find one of your own, so, like me, it's probably best to follow reports (and even then there might well be a substantial bit of searching through more common gulls involved...)

In Hokkaido the species is more common, though still not the dominant large gull, and also more used to humans.  The pallidisimus bird pictured above was sitting on the road by the coast next to a carpark, and allowed me to approach it to some extent.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: L. h. hyperboreus, L. h. pallidisimus, L. h. leucretes, L. h. barriovianus

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare Winter migrant (under 200 birds)

 - A First Winter bird at Ditchford Gravel Pits in December 2011.

JAPAN - Japanese - シロカモメ / Shiro-kamome ("White Gull")

 Locally common Winter migrant to Hokkaido and Northern Honshu .

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: An adult seen at close range in Central Akkeshi.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .