Gulls are most closely related to the terns . Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls, stout, longish bills, and webbed feet. Gull species range in size from 29-76 cm. Most gulls, particularly Larus species, are ground nesting carnivores, which will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. Live food often includes crabs and small fish. Gulls have unhinging jaws which allow them to consume large prey. Apart from the kittiwakes, gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea. large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Gulls are resourceful, inquisitive and intelligent birds, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a highly developed social structure. [abstracted from Wikipedia]






Genus Chroicocephalus

Gull, Andean  Chroicocephalus serranus  Found: South America
Photographed by Charlie Westerinen - Lima Peru


Gull, Black-billed Chroicocephalus bulleri   Endemic to New Zealand
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels
4) Juvelnile (identified by Charlie Westerinen)


Gull, Bonaparte's Chroicocephalus philadelphia  Found: North America 
Photographed by Dick Daniels in:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5) North Carolina  6) Georgia



Gull, Black-headed Chroicocephalus ridibundus   Found: North America, Europe 
Photographed by: 1, 2 Dick Daniels in North Carolina   3 , 4) Dick - Scotland 


Gull, Brown-hooded  Chroicocephalus maculipennis  Found: South America
Photographed by:  1, 2) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 


Gull, Grey-headed  Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus  Found: South America, Europe, Africa
Photographed by:   1)  Nicolas Barcet  2) Gabriel Buissart - Delta du Sine Saloum SN 
  3) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Gull, Hartlaub's Chroicocephalus hartlaubii Found: South Africa, Namibia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Cape Town, Soutn Africa  3) Dick - Hout, South Africa


Gull, Red-billed Chroicocephalus scopulinus   Found: New Zealand
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4)  Tony Wills in Petone, Wellington,  


Gull, Silver Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae   Found: Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Australia  5) Arthur Chapman




Genus Creagrus- 1 species

Gull, Swallow-tailed  Creagrus furcatus   Found: vacinity of Galapagos Islands
Photographed by: 1) Marc Figueras  2) Putney Mark



Genus Ichthyaetus

Gull, Mediterranean Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Found: Europe
Photographed by: 1) Martin Olsson  - Sweden   2) Mark Robinson - England  3) Dan Davison - England
1, 2) Breeding   3) Non breeding



Genus Larus

Gull, Iceland  Larus glaucoides  Found: North America (northern), Europe
Photographer: 1) Mdf - Bluffer's Park, Toronto, Canada   2) Mpf - North Shields Fish Quay, Northumberland, UK
2) 1st winter


Gull, Black-tailed  Larus crassirostris  Found: North America (rare), Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2)  Angie from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan  3) Bamse on ferry across Tokyo bay
Note the white edge of the black tail. Also a black and red spot at the end of the bill.


Gull, Caspian  Larus cachinnans  Found: Europe, Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Marek Szczepanek
    Similar to Herring Gull
2) Juvenile


Gull, Common aka Mew Gull Larus canus   Found: North America Europe, Asia
Photographed by: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7) Dick Daniels - Homer, Alaska  5, 8) Dick at Denali National Park, Alaska
   2) Alan D Wilson - Whiffin Spit Park, Sooke, Near Victoria, British Columbia
5 - 8) Adult bneeding


9, 10, 11, 12) Dick Daniels - Scotland
10) Common Gull in front, Herring Gull in back


Gull, California Larus californicus Found: North America
Similar to ring-billed gull, but larger and has a dark iris.
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - California  2, 3) Elaine R Wilson - Esquimalt Lagoon, Colwood, Near Victoria, British Columbia
3) Juvenile


Gull, Glaucous Larus hyperboreus   Found: North America, Europe, Asia
Photographed by:  1) US Fish and Wildlife Service - Aleutian Islands  2) Dick Daniels - Alaska


Gull, Glaucous-winged  Larus glaucescens    Found: North America (Pacific Coast)
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Seward, Alaska  2, 3, 4) Dick - Seldovia, Alaska
3, 4) Juvenile


Gull, Heermann's Larus heermanni Found: North America and Central America  (last pix: juvenile)
Photographed by:   1, 6, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - California  5) Mike Baird - Morro Bay, California
   2, 3, 9) Alan D Wilson at City Wharf, Huntington Beach, California
   4) Elaine R Wilson  - Cove Cliffs, San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park (Ecological Reserve), La Jolla, California
1, 2) Juvenile    3 - 6) non breeding   7 - 10) breeding




Gull, American Herring Larus smithsonianus   Found: North America, Asia
Also considered by some as a subspecies of the Europen Herring Gull (Larus argentatus).
Photographed by: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) Dick Daniels - North Carolina  3) Dick - New Hampshire  7) Dick - New Jersey   10) Dick - Maine

Arranged approximately according to age



Gull, European Herring  Larus argentatus  Found: Europe
Photographed by: 1) Kurt Kulac - Helgoland, Germany  2) Jalil Arfaoui  3) Edward Webb - Cornwall, England
3) Adult with young


Gull, Ring-billed Larus delawarensis   Found: North America, Europe
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - North Carolina



Gull, Yellow-legged  Larus michahellis   Found: Europe, Africa 
Photographed by:  1) Jorg Hempel - Thasos, Greece  2) Julio Reis - Porto, Portugal  3) Alvesgasper


Gull, Belcher's   Larus belcheri   Found: South America
Alastair Rae 2) Charlie Westerinen - Lima Peru fish market on 3/19


Gull, Olrog's  Larus Atlanticus  Found: Atlantic coast of South America
Photographed by: 1, 2) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
2) Juvenile


Gull, Great Black-backed Larus marinus   Found: North America, Europe
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Dick Daniels
1) Great Black-Backed Gull is larger than Herring Gull
2) Back: adult Herring Gull and 2 adult Great Black Backs.
      Middle: juvenile Lesser Black Backed and juvenile Great Black Backed.
      Front: juvenile Herring Gull.
7, 8, 9) Juveinle




Gull, Kelp aka Southern Black-backed Gull Larus dominicanus   Found: The Americas, Africa, Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by: 1, 2, 5) Dick Daniels in New Zealand   3) Cláudio Timm Beagle Channel, Argentina
    4) dFaulder - Isla Magdalena, Chile  6) Dario Sanches - Brazil
5) Juvenile  



Gull, Cape  Larus vetula   Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Dick Daniels - George, South Africa  2, 3) Dick - Hout, South Africa  4) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa


Gull, Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus Found: North America, Europe, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - North Carolina  2, 3, 4, 5) Dick - Scotland
Juvenile has pink legs and all black bill.

Note the yellow legs compared to pink of the great black-backed gull.


Gull, Pacific Larus pacificus   Found: Australia
Photographed by:  1) melbournian1 - Sandringham beach  2) Chensiyuan - Melbourne  3) Dick Daniels - Featherdale Wildlife Park in Australia
3) Juvenile


Gull, Slaty-backed  Larus schistisagus  Found: North America, eastern coast of Asia
E-190 2) Charles Lem
2) Juvenile


Gull, Western Larus occidentalis   Found: North America
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) Dick Daniels - California
   4) Alan D Wilson - City Wharf, Huntington Beach, California
   8) Alan - Sandholdt Road, South Harbor Jetty, Moss Landing, California
1, 4) Juvenile



Gull, Yellow-footed Larus livens  Found: North America
Photographed by:  1) Steve Ryan



Genus Leucophaeus
New World gulls. All have  white crescents above and below the eyes.

Gull, Dolphin  Leucophaeus scoresbii  Found: South America
Photographed by:  1, 2) Claudio D. Timm in Beagle Channel, Argentina 
2) Juvenile


Gull, Franklin's  Leucophaeus pipixcan  Found: The Americas, vagrant to Europe, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1) Aviceda - SE Queensland, Australia


Gull, Grey  Leucophaeus modestus   Found: Pacific coast of South America
Photographer:  1) Luc Bettinelli 


Gull, Laughing Leucophaeus atricilla   Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Dick Daniels - North Carolina
Adult has black hood in breeding season, nonbreeding has some grey on head. Last 2 pix are juvenile.




Gull, Lava Leucophaeus fuliginosus   Endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Rare.
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Santa Cruz Island of the Galapagos



Genus Pagophila - 1 species

Gull, Ivory  Pagophila eburnea Found: circumpolar, including North America
Photographed by: 1) US Fish and Wildlife Service  - Anchorage, Alaska  2, 3, 4) Alan Vernon - California
1) Juvenile



Genus Rissa

Kittiwake, Black-legged aka Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla   Found: North America, Europe
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Seward, Alaska  5) Dick - Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska 
    6) Dick - Homer, Alaska  7, 8, 9, 10) Dick - Scotland
1, 2, 3) Nonbreeding   4 - 10) Breeding




Kittiwake, Red-legged aka Kittiwake Rissa brevirostris   Found: North America
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward