Gulls & Terns in Kent
Our list for Kent has 20 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 5 summer visitors, 2 winter visitors and 7 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Kent in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 20, 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
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusSummer visitorCommon37–40 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusSummer visitorUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantUncommon27–33 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesPassage migrantRare52–60 cmRegularly Jan–Mar
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusPassage migrantRare20–27 cmRegularly Sep
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Jul–Aug
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
- Sabine's Gull 27–33 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Bonaparte's Gull 28–38 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
- Iceland Gull 52–60 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- Yellow-legged Gull 52–68 cm
- European Herring Gull 55–67 cm
- Glaucous Gull 62–68 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