Gulls & Terns in Dublin
Our list for Dublin has 14 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 7 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor and 1 passage migrant
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Dublin in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 14, most common first
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusWinter visitorCommon37–40 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorUncommon33–41 cmRegularly May–Sep
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusResidentUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Oct–Dec
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Tern 21–25 cm
- Black Tern 22–26 cm
- Little Gull 25–30 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Arctic Tern 33–39 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Mediterranean Gull 37–40 cm
- Kittiwake 37–41 cm
- Black-headed Gull 38–44 cm
- Common Gull 40–46 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- European Herring Gull 55–67 cm
- Great Black-backed Gull 64–79 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