Herring Gull Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesHerring Gull
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.
© Simon Boivin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, July 19, 2019Nonbreeding adult (American)
Nonbreeding adults have extensive tan streaking on their neck. Note the pale gray upperparts and the pale eye.
© G & B / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, October 22, 2016Breeding adult
Fairly large gull with a thick bill, pale eye, light-gray back and wings, and black wingtips.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryNew York, July 21, 2008Not all videos have sound
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.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, December 26, 2016Third 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.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, December 26, 2016Breeding adult
Characteristic "long call" and display involves leaning forward, lowering the head, and giving an extended series of loud cries.
© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 10, 2007Not all videos have sound
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.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryNew York, November 08, 2015Second 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.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 16, 2017Breeding 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.
© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay LibraryMaine, April 28, 2007Not all videos have sound
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.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 06, 2014Breeding 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.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 29, 2017Juvenile 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."
© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay LibraryMaine, August 08, 2007Not all videos have sound
Juvenile (American)
Juveniles in flight have dark primaries without the white spots or mirrors and a thick dark band across their tail.
© Louis Bevier / Macaulay LibraryMaine, August 02, 2017Nonbreeding 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.
© Adrien Mauss / Macaulay LibraryHauts-de-France, October 27, 2016Second 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.
© Anya Auerbach / Macaulay LibraryScotland, July 07, 2015Juvenile (European)
Juvenile gulls have heavy tan streaking on their neck and underparts and a checkerboard back.
© Adrien Mauss / Macaulay LibraryHauts-de-France, August 22, 2017Juvenile (European)
Juvenile (European) Herring Gulls have a narrower black band across their tail than juvenile (American) Herring Gulls.
© Adrien Mauss / Macaulay LibraryHauts-de-France, August 04, 2017Breeding adult (Vega)
Birds breeding in northeastern Siberia and on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska are darker gray above with a red ring around the eye.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, May 22, 2013Juvenile (Vega)
Juvenile (Vega) gulls have paler heads than juvenile (American) Herring Gulls and less tan barring on the undertail coverts.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryHokkaido, December 26, 2013Habitat
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.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, July 15, 2017Similar SpeciesWestern Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding adult Western Gulls are a darker shade of gray than Herring Gulls. Their bill is also more bulbous than the bill on Herring Gulls.
© Joel Rurik / Macaulay LibraryOregon, April 12, 2016Similar SpeciesWestern Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adult Western Gulls have very little tan streaking on their neck unlike the heavily streaked nonbreeding adult Herring Gull.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 25, 2012Similar SpeciesWestern Gull
Second winter
Second winter Western Gulls have darker gray feathers coming in on their back than second winter Herring Gulls. They also have a heavier and bulbous-shaped bill.
© Bernardo Alps / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 10, 2017Similar SpeciesWestern Gull
First winter
Bill size and shape may be the best way to separate first winter Western Gulls from younger Herring Gulls. The bill on Western is heavier with a bulbous shape, unlike the rather slim and straight bill on Herring Gulls.
© Bernardo Alps / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 24, 2017Similar SpeciesRing-billed Gull
Breeding adult
Ring-billed Gulls are smaller and more daintily built than Herring Gulls. Breeding birds have yellow legs and a black line around the bill, whereas breeding Herring Gulls have pink legs and a red mark on the lower bill.
© Jeremy Collison / Macaulay LibraryNew York, July 28, 2017Similar SpeciesRing-billed Gull
Second winter
Size can help separate Ring-billed Gulls from Herring Gulls at all ages. Ring-billed Gulls are smaller with a daintier body than Herring Gulls.
© Tom Edell / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 16, 2017Similar SpeciesRing-billed Gull
First winter
First winter Ring-billed Gulls in general have less streaking on the underparts than first or second winter Herring Gulls.
© Brad Walker / Macaulay LibraryNew York, February 27, 2016Similar SpeciesCalifornia Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding adult California Gulls have a dark eye unlike breeding Herring Gulls, which have a pale yellow eye. California Gulls also yellow legs not pink like Herring Gulls.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 01, 2008Similar SpeciesCalifornia Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adult California Gulls have dark eyes and yellow legs, whereas nonbreeding Herring Gulls have pale eyes and pink legs.
© Ben Bright / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, January 28, 2017Similar SpeciesCalifornia Gull
First winter
First winter California Gulls can be separated from first winter Herring Gulls by their smaller size and wings that stick our farther past the end of the tail.
© Steven Mlodinow / Macaulay LibraryBaja California Sur, March 19, 2009Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding and nonbreeding adult Glaucous-winged Gulls have pale gray wingtips unlike adult Herring Gulls, which have black wingtips.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryOregon, June 28, 2017Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
Second winter
First and second winter Glaucous-winged Gulls have pale tan wingtips, whereas first and second winter Herring Gulls have dark brown wingtips.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 18, 2007Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
Adult (Iceland)
Adult Iceland Gulls are highly variable, but they often have pale wingtips unlike the dark wingtips on adult Herring Gulls. Their bill is also smaller and slimmer than Herring Gulls.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 03, 2012Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
Nonbreeding adult (Thayer's)
Nonbreeding Iceland Gulls have paler gray wingtips than nonbreeding Herring Gulls. They also have a darker eye and a slimmer bill.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 30, 2015Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
First winter (Thayer's)
First winter Iceland Gulls look very similar to first winter Herring Gulls, but they have a slimmer bill and appear more round-headed that Herring Gulls.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 18, 2016Similar SpeciesLesser Black-backed Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Lesser Black-backed Gulls are darker gray above than Herring Gulls. They also have yellow (not pink) legs.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 25, 2015Similar SpeciesLesser Black-backed Gull
Juvenile
Juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls can be separated from juvenile or first winter Herring Gulls by their smudgy black eye patch.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, March 25, 2011Similar SpeciesGreat Black-backed Gull
Breeding adult
Great Black-backed Gulls are larger than Herring Gulls with much darker upperparts.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, March 21, 2017Similar SpeciesGreat Black-backed Gull
Second winter
Second winter Great Black-backed Gulls have paler heads than second winter or first winter Herring Gulls. They also have a heftier bulbous bill that is pink at the base and the tip.
© Gates Dupont / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, January 12, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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