Photo by jvhigbee
- Larus smithsonianus
Identification
23-26" (58-66 cm)
Adult
- White with light gray back and wings
- Wing tip black with white spots
- Bill yellow with red spot on lower mandible
- Feet pink or flesh colored
Immature
- Brownish
Acquires adult plumage in 4 years. See California Gull.
Distribution
Breeds from Alaska east across northern Canada to Maritime Provinces, south to British Columbia, north-central Canada, and Great Lakes, and along Atlantic Coast to North Carolina. Winters to Central America.
Taxonomy
Formerly considered a subspecies of European Herring Gull.
Subspecies
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Lakes, rivers, estuaries, and beaches; common in all aquatic habitats.
Behaviour
Breeding
2-4 heavily spotted, olive-brown eggs in a mass of seaweed or dead grass on the ground or a cliff; most often on islands. Nests in colonies.
Vocalisation
Loud rollicking call, kuk-kuk-kuk, yucca-yucca-yucca, and other raucous cries.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v 14.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.14.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) American Herring Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/American_Herring_Gull
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
