Herring Gull Photo Gallery

Breeding adult (American)

Large gull with a somewhat large, but slim bill and robust body. Breeding adults have clean white heads and underparts with pale gray backs and wings. Note pale legs and yellow eye.

Nonbreeding adult (American)

Nonbreeding adults have extensive tan streaking on their neck. Note the pale gray upperparts and the pale eye.

Breeding adult

Fairly large gull with a thick bill, pale eye, light-gray back and wings, and black wingtips.

Third winter (American)

Third winter birds start to acquire pale gray feathers on their back, but still have extensive tan streaking on their head and neck. Note pale yellow eye.

Third winter (American)

This more advanced third winter bird looks nearly like an adult, with its pale gray back, but it still has streaking on the neck and a black band around its bill.

Breeding adult

Characteristic "long call" and display involves leaning forward, lowering the head, and giving an extended series of loud cries.

Second winter (American)

The second winter gull is heavily streaked throughout with a few gray back feathers coming in. Note dark primaries, lacking white tips.

Second winter (American)

Some second winter birds have less streaking on their necks and look very pale overall, but note its pale eye and pink legs.

Breeding adults

Pairs often feed each other as part of courtship. Females are usually smaller than males; this one is soliciting food from her partner using begging motions similar to those used by chicks.

Juvenile (American)

Juveniles are tan overall with tan-and-white checker boarding on their back. Juveniles have an entirely dark bill and a dark eye.

Breeding adult (American)

In flight, they look barrel-chested and broad-winged. Pale gray above with dark wingtips with only small white spots (aka "mirrors") on the dark tips.

Juvenile and breeding adults

Juveniles are brown with black bills. This one begs and receives regurgitated food from a parent, as the other parent moves in and also eats the food. Afterward, the two adults perform "long calls."

Juvenile (American)

Juveniles in flight have dark primaries without the white spots or mirrors and a thick dark band across their tail.

Nonbreeding adult (European)

The European subspecies of Herring Gulls are virtually indistinguishable from the American subspecies. Note pale gray back, pale eye, pink legs, and slim bill.

Second winter (European)

Herring Gulls breeding in European are nearly identical to those breeding in North America. The European subspecies tends to be paler, but often not safely separated into subspecies except by location.

Juvenile (European)

Juvenile gulls have heavy tan streaking on their neck and underparts and a checkerboard back.

Juvenile (European)

Juvenile (European) Herring Gulls have a narrower black band across their tail than juvenile (American) Herring Gulls.

Breeding adult (Vega)

Birds breeding in northeastern Siberia and on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska are darker gray above with a red ring around the eye.

Juvenile (Vega)

Juvenile (Vega) gulls have paler heads than juvenile (American) Herring Gulls and less tan barring on the undertail coverts.

Habitat

Found along both coasts and near large reservoirs, lakes, and major rivers. They feed in habitats as diverse as open water, mudflats, plowed fields, and garbage dumps, and gather in almost any open space near food.

Herring Gull Juvenile and breeding adults

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Herring Gull Photo Gallery

Breeding adult (American)

Nonbreeding adult (American)

Breeding adult

Third winter (American)

Third winter (American)

Breeding adult

Second winter (American)

Second winter (American)

Breeding adults

Juvenile (American)

Breeding adult (American)

Juvenile and breeding adults

Juvenile (American)

Nonbreeding adult (European)

Second winter (European)

Juvenile (European)

Juvenile (European)

Breeding adult (Vega)

Juvenile (Vega)

Habitat

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