Common Gull

The Common Gull has a white head and underparts, with a pale grey back and wings. Its wingtips are distinctively black, creating a striking contrast. The bird's yellow bill often features a dark ring near the tip, while its legs can range from greenish to yellow.

Both sexes share similar plumage, although males are slightly larger than females. The iris is dark with a red orbital ring which is not apparent in winter plumage.

In winter, adults develop faint grey streaking on their heads. Juveniles have brown markings on their wings and backs and gradually moult into adult plumage over three years.

The common gull’s call is a high pitched, loud ‘keeeee – ya’ or ‘keeee -ya – ya -ya’.

The breeding range of the common gull encompasses much of the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere including Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, Iceland, the United Kingdom and eastwards across northern Europe into Russia and across Siberia to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Breeding populations are also found in Turkey, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. In North America they breed across Alaska and eastwards into the Canadian provinces of Yukon, North West Territories, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Eurasian breeding colonies that do migrate south for the winter head for the Baltic Sea, United Kingdom, North Africa, the western Mediterranean, Black Sea, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, southern China and Japan. North American colonies winter across the Pacific coast from Alaska south to Central California. Isolated pockets of common gulls can also be found inland within North America with Eurasian variants appearing on the Atlantic Coast of the U.S.

During the breeding season, in the main, common gulls choose to inhabit areas close to water. In particular, sea coasts, offshore islands, beaches, cliffs, wetlands, estuaries, marshes, freshwater lakes and rivers etc. Some birds will however, venture further inland to moors, heaths and even wooded areas. During winter months much of the Eurasian population will move inland and occupy arable and grassland whilst also selecting urban and suburban areas, particularly around sewage farms and refuse tips. North American birds in general, remain close to the coast. Dependent upon region, common gulls often congregate in large flocks that can reach several thousand and are frequently seen roosting on beaches and sandbars. Although nests are usually built on the ground close to water, common gulls will also nest in trees and are the only white headed gull to do so. In appearance they are easy to confuse with a Herring Gull although the latter is larger and much heavier.

Feeding from water or on the ground the bird lives on a diet of molluscs, fish, worms, carrion and insects which is often supplemented by scraps scavenged from refuse tips.

The breeding season across the range is from late April through to July dependent upon geographical location and climatic conditions (breaking up of winter ice etc). Nests are usually constructed by the female with little help from the male and are either a shallow cup shape built on a rock or marshy ground, often amongst thick vegetation, or a simple platform high in a tree. Birds will often nest in colonies although some pairs will nest alone. One brood of two or three pale brown eggs, marked with dark brown splodges, are laid annually and incubated by both parents for between twenty four to twenty six days. Fledging occurs from four to five weeks after hatching.

Common Gulls are highly social and often seen in large flocks during non-breeding seasons. They're highly efficient at soaring and gliding and use air currents efficiently.

These gulls are known for their 'foot-paddling' behaviour, in which they rapidly stamp their feet on the ground to bring worms to the surface.

Average life expectancy for a common gull is up to ten years although examples of those surviving twice that period have been recorded.

While currently listed as Least Concern, Common Gulls face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

Coastal development and disturbance at breeding sites are particular concerns. Conservation efforts focus on protecting nesting areas and reducing marine pollution.

The common gull is a medium sized gull with a round head and small bill. Adult summer (breeding) plumage is predominantly grey above with white underparts. The body, head and tail is white and the mantle, the area immediately below the nape of the neck, is grey. The upper wing area is grey with the tips of the primary feathers coloured black. There is a large circular white spot partially superimposed over the black area. The trailing edge of the upper wings are marked with a narrow white stripe. Upper tail is white and the underwings are white tipped black. The short bill is a greenish yellow as are the legs and webbed feet. The iris is dark with a red orbital ring which is not apparent in winter plumage. Non breeding adults have grey brown markings over a white head extending to the top of the nape. Males and females are similar in appearance with the male being slightly larger than the female. Juvenile birds are mainly a grey brown colour with light brown upper wings and dark brown primaries. The upper tail is grey with a black band across the trailing edge. The bill is grey with a black tip and the legs vary from buff to pale pink.

The common gull attracts a number of differing assertions from ornithologists and scientific bodies where it’s nomenclature allegedly derives from its abundance in numbers, to those who opine that the overwintering of birds inland, on common ground, gives rise to its title. Further, whilst most authorities count the North American variant as a subspecies (Larus canus brachyrhynchus) others see it as an independent and separate species.