Gulls & Terns in Dorset
Our list for Dorset has 15 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 5 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor and 4 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Dorset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 15, most common first
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusResidentCommon37–40 cmRecorded all year
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisSummer visitorUncommon52–68 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantRare22–26 cmRegularly Aug
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantRare33–39 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Jul
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
- Mediterranean Gull 37–40 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Kittiwake 37–41 cm
- Black-headed Gull 38–44 cm
- Common Gull 40–46 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- Yellow-legged Gull 52–68 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