Gulls
Black-headed Gull
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Suborder: Lari Family: Laridae Vigors, 1825
Genera
Larus Rissa Pagophila Rhodostethia Xema Creagrus

Gulls (often informally Seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae. The Black-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small Gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large Birds It includes about 350 Species and has members in all parts of the world For the Currency, see Georgian lari. For the Italian city see Lari Italy. Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 &ndash October 26, 1840) was an Irish Zoologist and Politician. Larus is a large genus of Gulls with worldwide distribution (although by far the greatest Species diversity in the Northern Hemisphere) The kittiwakes ( Genus Rissa) are two closely related Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae the Black-legged Kittiwake The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea is a small Gull, the only species in its genus The Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea, is a small Gull, the only species in its Genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus The Sabine's Gull is a small Gull. Its generic placement is disputed some authors treat it as the sole species in the genus Xema as Xema sabini The Swallow-tailed Gull ( Creagrus furcatus) is an equatorial Seabird in the Gull family Laridae Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. In Biological classification, family ( Latin They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, and skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al This article is about a family of birds For the American ornithological journal see The Auk. The Skimmers, Rhynchopidae, are a small family of Tern -like Birds in the order Charadriiformes which also includes the Waders Gulls Waders, called shorebirds in North America (where "wader" is used to refer to long-legged wading Birds such as Storks and Most gulls belong to the large genus Larus. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Larus is a large genus of Gulls with worldwide distribution (although by far the greatest Species diversity in the Northern Hemisphere)

They are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. They have stout, longish bills, and webbed feet. Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species Webbed toes is the common name for Syndactyly affecting the feet Gull species range in size from the Little Gull, at 120 g (4. The Little Gull ( Hydrocoloeus minutus) is a small Gull which breeds in northern Europe and Asia. 2 oz) and 29 cm (11. 5 inches), to the Great Black-backed Gull, at 1. The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large Gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the 75 kg (3. 8 lbs) and 76 cm (30 inches).

Most gulls, particularly Larus species, are ground nesting carnivores, which will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting The live food often includes crabs and small fish. Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy Apart from the kittiwakes, gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea. The kittiwakes ( Genus Rissa) are two closely related Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae the Black-legged Kittiwake The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures

Gulls — the larger species in particular — are resourceful and highly-intelligent birds, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a highly-developed social structure; for example, many gull colonies display mobbing behaviour, attacking and harassing would-be predators and other intruders. Mobbing behavior is an antipredator behavior which occurs when individuals of a certain species mob a Predator by cooperatively attacking or ^[1] In addition, certain species (e. g. the Herring Gull) have exhibited tool use behaviour. The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of Many species of gull have learned to co-exist successfully with humans and have thrived in human habitats. Others rely on kleptoparasitism to get their food. Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally Parasitism by Theft) is a form of Feeding where one animal takes Prey from another

Two terms are in common usage among gull enthusiasts for subgroupings of the gulls:

• Large white-headed gulls for the 16 Herring Gull-like species from Great Black-backed Gull to Lesser Black-backed Gull in the taxonomic list below
• White-winged gulls for the two Arctic-breeding species Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull

Hybridisation between species of gull occurs quite frequently, although to varying degrees depending on the species involved (see Hybridisation in gulls). The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large Gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the The Lesser Black-backed Gull ( Larus fuscus) is a large Gull which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. The Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides, is a large Gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not Iceland, where The Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus is a large Gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the Northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of Hybridisation in gulls occurs quite frequently although to varying degrees depending on the species involved The taxonomy of the large white-headed gulls is particularly complicated.

In common usage, members of various gull species are often referred to as sea gulls or seagulls. This name is used by the layman to refer to a common local species or all gulls in general, and has no fixed taxonomic meaning.

The American Ornithologists' Union combines Sternidae, Stercorariidae, and Rhynchopidae as subfamilies in the family Laridae, but recent research ^{[2] [3] [4]} indicates that this is incorrect. The American Ornithologists' Union ( AOU) an ornithological organization in the USA. Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al Skuas are Seabirds in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America The Skimmers, Rhynchopidae, are a small family of Tern -like Birds in the order Charadriiformes which also includes the Waders Gulls

List of gulls in taxonomic order

Gulls can be aggressive

A gull hovers

Gulls fly in the City

A gull eating a crayfish

A gull scavenging for food

A gull is attacking a coot

Genus Larus

• Dolphin Gull, Larus scoresbii
• Pacific Gull, Larus pacificus
• Belcher's Gull, Larus belcheri
• Olrog's Gull, Larus atlanticus
• Black-tailed Gull, Larus crassirostris
• Grey Gull, Larus modestus
• Heermann's Gull, Larus heermanni
• White-eyed Gull, Larus leucophthalmus
• Sooty Gull, Larus hemprichii
• Common Gull or Mew Gull, Larus canus
• Audouin's Gull, Larus audouinii
• Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
• California Gull, Larus californicus
• Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
• Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus (called "Southern Black-backed Gull" or "Karoro" in New Zealand)
• Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens
• Western Gull, Larus occidentalis
• Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens
• Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus
• Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides
• Thayer's Gull, Larus thayeri
• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• Heuglin's Gull, Larus heuglini
• American Herring Gull, Larus smithsonianus
• Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
• Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans
• East Siberian Herring Gull, Larus vegae
• Armenian Gull, Larus armenicus
• Slaty-backed Gull, Larus schistisagus
• Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
• Great Black-headed Gull, Larus ichthyaetus
• Brown-headed Gull, Larus brunnicephalus
• Grey-headed Gull, Larus cirrocephalus
• Hartlaub's Gull, Larus hartlaubii
• Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae
• Red-billed Gull, Larus scopulinus
• Black-billed Gull, Larus bulleri
• Brown-hooded Gull, Larus maculipennis
• Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus
• Slender-billed Gull, Larus genei
• Bonaparte's Gull, Larus philadelphia
• Saunders' Gull, Larus saundersi
• Andean Gull, Larus serranus
• Mediterranean Gull, Larus melanocephalus
• Relict Gull, Larus relictus
• Lava Gull, Larus fuliginosus
• Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla
• Franklin's Gull, Larus pipixcan
• Little Gull, Larus minutus

Genus Rissa

• Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
• Red-legged Kittiwake, Rissa brevirostris

Genus Pagophila

• Ivory Gull, Pagophila eburnea

Genus Rhodostethia

• Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea

Genus Xema

• Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini

Genus Creagrus

• Swallow-tailed Gull, Creagrus furcatus

The Laridae are known from fossil evidence since the Early Oligocene, some 30-33 mya. Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely Coots, are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family Rallidae. Larus is a large genus of Gulls with worldwide distribution (although by far the greatest Species diversity in the Northern Hemisphere) The Dolphin Gull ( Leucophaeus scoresbii) sometimes erroneously called the Red-billed Gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New The Pacific Gull ( Larus pacificus) is a very large Gull, native to the coasts of Australia. The Belcher's Gull or Band-tailed Gull, Larus belcheri, is a South American Gull. UserPolbot. -->The Olrog's Gull ( Larus atlanticus) is a species of Gull in the Laridae family The Black-tailed Gull ( Larus crassirostris) is a medium-sized (46cm Gull, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm The Grey Gull ( Leucophaeus modestus) is a Gull found along the Pacific coast of South America. The Heermann's Gull ( Larus heermanni) is a Gull resident in the United States and Mexico. The White-eyed Gull ( Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) is a small Gull which is endemic to the Red Sea. UserPolbot. --> The Sooty Gull ( Ichthyaetus hemprichii) is a species of Gull in the Laridae family For the Butterfly, see Cepora nerissa. The Common Gull, Mew Gull or Sea Mew ( Larus canus The Audouin's Gull ( Ichthyaetus audouinii) is a large Gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa. The Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis) is a medium-sized Gull. The California Gull Larus californicus is a medium-sized Gull, smaller than the Herring Gull but larger than the Ring-billed Gull. The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large Gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large white-headed Gull residing from the Aleutians to the western coast of Alaska to the The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed Gull that lives on the western coast of North America. The Yellow-footed Gull', Larus livens, is a large Gull, closely related to the Western Gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s The Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus is a large Gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the Northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of The Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides, is a large Gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not Iceland, where The Thayer's Gull ( Larus thayeri) is a large Gull native to North America that breeds in the Arctic islands of Canada and primarily winters The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of Heuglin's Gull or Siberian Gull, Larus heuglini, is a Seabird in the genus Larus. The American Herring Gull, Larus smithsonianus, is a large Gull, similar to Larus argentatus, except that immature birds tend to be darker and The Yellow-legged Gull ( Larus michahellis) is a large Gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Caspian Gull is a name applied to the Gull Taxon Larus (argentatus cachinnans, a member of the Herring Gull / Lesser Black-backed Vega Gull redirects here For the aircraft see Percival Vega Gull The East Siberian Gull, Larus vegae, is a large Gull The Armenian Gull ( Larus armenicus) is a large Gull found in the Caucasus and Middle East. The Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus, is a large white-headed Gull that breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during nonbreeding The Lesser Black-backed Gull ( Larus fuscus) is a large Gull which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. The Great Black-headed Gull or Pallas's Gull, Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus, is a large Gull. The Brown-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus is a small Gull which breeds in the high plateaux of Central Asia from Turkmenistan to The Grey-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus) is a small Gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the The Hartlaub's Gull or King Gull, ( Chroicocephalus hartlaubii) is a small Gull which is a non-migratory breeding resident endemic to the The Silver Gull ( Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia is the most common Gull seen in Australia The Red-billed Gull ( Chroicocephalus scopulinus) also known locally as Mackerel Gull, is a native of New Zealand, being found throughout the country UserPolbot. --> The Black-billed Gull ( Chroicocephalus bulleri) is a species of Gull in the UserPolbot. --> The Brown-hooded Gull ( Chroicocephalus maculipennis) is a species of Gull in the The Black-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small Gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern The Slender-billed Gull, Chroicocephalus genei, is a mid-sized Gull which breeds very locally around the Mediterranean and the north of the western The Bonaparte's Gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia, is a small Gull. UserPolbot. -->The Saunders's Gull ( Saundersilarus saundersi) is a species of Gull in the Laridae UserPolbot. --> The Andean Gull ( Chroicocephalus serranus) is a species of Gull in the Laridae The Mediterranean Gull, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus is a small Gull which breeds almost entirely in Europe, mainly in the south east especially around The Relict Gull, Ichthyaetus relictus is a medium-sized Gull which breeds in several locations in Mongolia ( e The Lava Gull ( Leucophaeus fuliginosus) is a large Gull. One of the rarest gulls in the world the entire population lives on the Galapagos Islands The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized Gull of North and South America. The Franklin's Gull ( Leucophaeus pipixcan) is a small Gull. It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern USA; The Little Gull ( Hydrocoloeus minutus) is a small Gull which breeds in northern Europe and Asia. The kittiwakes ( Genus Rissa) are two closely related Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae the Black-legged Kittiwake The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae The Red-legged Kittiwake, Rissa brevirostris is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae The Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea is a small Gull, the only species in its genus The Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea, is a small Gull, the only species in its Genus, although it has been suggested it should be moved to the genus The Sabine's Gull is a small Gull. Its generic placement is disputed some authors treat it as the sole species in the genus Xema as Xema sabini The Swallow-tailed Gull ( Creagrus furcatus) is an equatorial Seabird in the Gull family Laridae FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene period and extends from about 33 In Astronomy, Geology, and Paleontology, mya or " mya " is an abbreviation for "million years ago". A fossil gull from the Middle to Late Miocene of Cherry County, USA is placed in the prehistoric genus Gaviota; apart from this and the undescribed Early Oligocene fossil, all prehistoric species were tentatively assigned to the modern genus Larus. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 Cherry County is a County located in the US state of Nebraska. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Gaviota State Park is a California State Park located in southern Santa Barbara County, California, U Among those of them that have been confirmed as gulls, "Larus" elegans and "L. " totanoides from the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene of SE France have since been separated in Laricola.

Gallery

Seagull dropping clam.	An assorted flock of Gulls	Lesser Black-backed Gull - Adult gull and her chick	Western Gull in Monterey, United States
Gull chick at Trondheim, Norway	A Black-headed Gull in Devon, England	The Swallow-tailed Gull, endemic inhabitant of the Galápagos Islands. The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed Gull that lives on the western coast of North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Black-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small Gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Swallow-tailed Gull ( Creagrus furcatus) is an equatorial Seabird in the Gull family Laridae Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere	Swallow-tailed Gull in flight, showing wing patterns.
Herring Gull on the North Devon coast, England	Silver Gull at Sale, Australia	Ring-billed Gulls at Chesapeake Bay	Ring-billed Gull at Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dolphin Gull at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego	A Silver Gull, Lakes Entrance	Black-tailed Gulls feeding in flight	Heermann's Gulls have all over greyish plumage with a white head during the breeding season. The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of The Silver Gull ( Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia is the most common Gull seen in Australia Sale is a cathedral city in the Australian state of Victoria, in the Shire of Wellington. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis) is a medium-sized Gull. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest Estuary in the United States. The Ring-billed Gull ( Larus delawarensis) is a medium-sized Gull. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Dolphin Gull ( Leucophaeus scoresbii) sometimes erroneously called the Red-billed Gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New Ushuaia (u'swaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and is sometimes considered to be the southernmost city in the world The Silver Gull ( Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia is the most common Gull seen in Australia Lakes Entrance is a tourist resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. The Black-tailed Gull ( Larus crassirostris) is a medium-sized (46cm Gull, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm The Heermann's Gull ( Larus heermanni) is a Gull resident in the United States and Mexico.
Lava Gull at Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos	Herring Gull eggs	American Herring Gull on its nest

References

Bibliography

• Grant, Peter J. (1986) Gulls: a guide to identification ISBN 0-85661-044-5
• Howell, Steve N. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. Peter James Grant ( 1943 - April 16, 1990) was a British Ornithologist. G. and Jon Dunn (2007) Gulls of the Americas ISBN 0-618-72641-1
• Olsen, Klaus Malling & Larsson, Hans (1995): Terns of Europe and North America. Christopher Helm, London. The Helm Identification Guides are a series of books dealing with the identification of groups of Birds The series include two types of guide those whose ISBN 0-7136-4056-1

External links

• Rudy's Gull-index: Pictures of less well-known plumages of large gulls
• Gull videos on the Internet Bird Collection