Gulls & Terns in China
Our list for China has 15 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 7 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors and 3 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in China in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 15, most common first
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaSummer visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostrisSummer visitorUncommon43–51 cmRecorded all year
Vega GullLarus vegaeWinter visitorUncommon55–67 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Aug–May
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Sep–May
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly May–Sep
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusPassage migrantRare62–68 cmRegularly Feb–Apr
Black TernChlidonias nigerSummer visitorRare22–26 cmRegularly May–Jul
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantRare25–30 cmRegularly Feb–Sep
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaWinter visitorRare37–41 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisPassage migrantRare36–41 cmRegularly Jun
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Tern 21–25 cm
- White-winged Tern 20–27 cm
- Black Tern 22–26 cm
- Little Gull 25–30 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Kittiwake 37–41 cm
- Black-headed Gull 38–44 cm
- Common Gull 40–46 cm
- Black-tailed Gull 43–51 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- Vega Gull 55–67 cm
- Glaucous Gull 62–68 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made