Gulls & Terns in Scotland
Our list for Scotland has 20 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 7 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors and 5 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Scotland 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
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Oct
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Sep–Jul
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusWinter visitorUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusSummer visitorUncommon25–30 cmRecorded all year
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorUncommon21–25 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisPassage migrantRare43–54 cmRegularly Jan–Jun
Black TernChlidonias nigerPassage migrantRare22–26 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiPassage migrantRare33–41 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly May–Aug
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentRare52–68 cmRegularly Jan
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Tern 21–25 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
- 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
- Ring-billed Gull 43–54 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