Ring-billed Gull: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Craig K. Hunt · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Larus delawarensis
- Family
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Size
- About 45 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, fields and parking lots
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
Smaller, with a pale grey back, a yellow bill with a black ring and yellow legs. American Herring Gull is larger, with pink legs and a red spot on the bill.
Voice
A high 'kakakaka'.
Good to know
It is a gull of parking lots and fields, not only the coast.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the American Herring Gull. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, fields and parking lots. It is especially common in Canada. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.