Gulls & Terns in Somerset
Our list for Somerset has 14 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 1 summer visitor, 3 winter visitors, 4 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Somerset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 14, most common first
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusResidentCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
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 cmRegularly Aug–May
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisWinter visitorUncommon52–68 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusWinter visitorUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaResidentRare37–41 cmRegularly Nov–May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisPassage migrantRare36–41 cmRegularly Jul
Little TernSternula albifronsScarceRare21–25 cm
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
- 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