Gull

Gulls, also known as seagulls, are a group of seabirds belonging to the subfamily Larinae. They are closely related to terns and skimmers, and are part of the family Laridae. These birds are usually grey and white, often with black markings on their heads or wings. They have strong bills and webbed feet, and are known for their loud, mewing calls.

Most gulls live near coastal areas, though some species can be found far inland. They are skilled at finding food, often eating fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, but they will also scavenge for food opportunistically. Larger gulls can even unhinge their jaws to swallow large prey. These birds are intelligent and curious, sometimes using tools to help catch food.

Gulls nest in large, noisy colonies, where they lay two or three speckled eggs. Their young are born ready to move around and can leave the nest soon after hatching. Many gull species have learned to live comfortably around humans, often thriving in places where people live and work. Their ability to adapt has made them common sights in many parts of the world.

Description and morphology

Gulls come in different sizes, from the tiny little gull weighing just 120 grams to the large great black-backed gull that can weigh up to 1.75 kg. They usually have heavy bodies, long wings, and moderately long necks. Most gulls have rounded tails, but some, like Sabine's gull and the swallow-tailed gull, have special tail shapes.

Gulls are very adaptable birds, able to live in many different places and eat many kinds of food. They are good at swimming, flying, and walking. Their bodies are made for all these activities, and they can even hover in the air or take off quickly from a small space. The colour of their feathers usually includes a white body with a darker back, and many have black wingtips with white marks. The colour of their heads can change depending on the season.

Distribution and habitat

See also: List of Charadriiformes by population

Gulls are found all over the world. They live on every continent, including near Antarctica and in the Arctic. Some species prefer coastal areas and islands, while others, like the grey gull, live far inland in dry deserts. Though less common in the tropics, a few species live on tropical islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia.

Many gulls move to warmer places during winter, but the distance they travel varies. Some, like Sabine's gull and Franklin's gull, travel very far, while others move only short distances. The places where gulls live and feed are also affected by human activities, especially fishing, which provides food for some species like Audouin's gull and lesser black-backed gulls.

Behaviour

Gulls are very adaptable birds that can drink both salt and fresh water. They eat a wide variety of foods, including fish, insects, seeds, fruit, and even scraps from human food. They find food in many ways, such as catching it in the air, on water, or on land. Some gulls can drop shells onto hard surfaces to break them open for food.

Gulls usually mate for life and return to the same places to build their nests each year. They often nest in large groups and defend their nesting areas. Most gulls lay three eggs, which both parents help to incubate. The eggs hatch after about three weeks, and the parents take turns caring for the chicks until they can fly on their own.

Taxonomy

The family Laridae was introduced by a French scientist in 1815. Gulls have a complex taxonomy because they live in many places and often mix their genes with each other.

In the past, most gulls were grouped together in one genus, but scientists now know this was too simple. They have split them into several different groups, including Ichthyaetus, Chroicocephalus, Leucophaeus, Saundersilarus, and Hydrocoloeus.

People often call any gull a "seagull," but this term is not used by scientists. It usually just means a common local species of gull.

List of species

This is a list of the 54 gull species, shown in the order used by the Avilist. The list includes many different kinds of gulls that you might see near the coast or in parks.

Image	Genus	Species
	Creagrus Bonaparte, 1854	Swallow-tailed gull Creagrus furcatus
	Hydrocoloeus Kaup, 1829 (may include Rhodostethia)	Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus
	Rhodostethia MacGillivray, 1842	Ross's gull Rhodostethia rosea
	Rissa Stephens, 1826	Red-legged kittiwake Rissa brevirostris Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
	Xema Leach, 1819	Sabine's gull Xema sabini
	Pagophila Kaup, 1829	Ivory gull Pagophila eburnea
	Saundersilarus Dwight, 1926	Saunders's gull, Saundersilarus saundersi
	Chroicocephalus Eyton, 1836	Slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei Bonaparte's gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Brown-headed gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus Hartlaub's gull Chroicocephalus hartlaubii Grey-headed gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus Brown-hooded gull Chroicocephalus maculipennis Andean gull Chroicocephalus serranus Black-billed gull Chroicocephalus bulleri Silver gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae Red-billed gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus
	Leucophaeus Bruch, 1853	Dolphin gull Leucophaeus scoresbii Grey gull Leucophaeus modestus Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla Franklin's gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Lava gull Leucophaeus fuliginosus
	Ichthyaetus Kaup, 1829	Pallas's gull (or Great black-headed gull) Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus Relict gull Ichthyaetus relictus Audouin's gull Ichthyaetus audouinii Mediterranean gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus White-eyed gull Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus Sooty gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii
	Larus Linnaeus, 1758	Pacific gull Larus pacificus Belcher's gull Larus belcheri Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris Olrog's gull Larus atlanticus Heermann's gull Larus heermanni Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis Short-billed gull Larus brachyrhynchus Common gull Larus canus Yellow-footed gull Larus livens Western gull Larus occidentalis Caspian gull Larus cachinnans Kelp gull Larus dominicanus (or "southern black-backed gull" or "karoro" in New Zealand) Cape gull Larus dominicanus vetula American herring gull Larus smithsonianus Vega gull Larus vegae Mongolian gull Larus mongolicus European herring gull Larus argentatus Yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis Armenian gull Larus armenicus Great black-backed gull Larus marinus Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus Heuglin's gull Larus fuscus heuglini California gull Larus californicus Glaucous-winged gull Larus glaucescens Slaty-backed gull Larus schistisagus Iceland gull Larus glaucoides Kumlien's gull Larus glaucoides kumlieni Thayer's gull Larus glaucoides thayeri

Evolutionary history

Gulls have a long history that scientists can study through fossils. Fossils showing birds similar to modern gulls have been found that are about 30 to 33 million years old, from a time called the Early Oligocene. These fossils were discovered in places like Saint-Gérand-le-Puy in France and Cherry County, Nebraska in the United States.

One special extinct gull called the Huahine gull, which lived on islands in French Polynesia, was closely related to today’s silver gull. Scientists learned about this bird from bones they found on the Society Islands.