Wildlife
Herring gulls are champion opportunists, feeding on anything from discarded fish offal, to the chicks of other birds. They have a fondness for a good rubbish dump, particularly during winter when tourists laden with bags of chips are harder to find. This familiar gull can be distinguished from other gulls by its large size and grey upper parts. Despite its supreme versatility, herring gulls have suffered a 50% decline over the past 30 years, the cause of which is unclear.
Scientific name: Larus argentatus
Rank: Species
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Too close for comfort?
Scavenging herring gulls are a quintessential part of the British seaside.
Scavenging herring gulls are a quintessential part of the British seaside.
Herring gull calls
Quite complex calls and white plumage send a range of messages.
Quite complex calls and white plumage send a range of messages.
Tapping the parents
Herring gull chicks tap into the supply of regurgitated food.
Herring gull chicks tap into the supply of regurgitated food.
Scavenging seagulls
Lesser black-backed and herring gulls find land-fill a handy fast food stop.
Lesser black-backed and herring gulls find land-fill a handy fast food stop and our buildings a good place to raise their young.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Herring gull can be found in a number of locations including: Arctic, Asia, China, Europe, North America, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Herring gull distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
Herring Gull may refer to:
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Seaside spectacular
When it comes to summer holidays, there's no better place than the seaside and if you know where to look you'll be surprised at the wildlife you can find.
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Farmland
Brownfield land
Coastal
Estuaries
Intertidal zone
Shallow seas
Open ocean
Temperate grassland
Tundra
Urban
Helpless young
Carnivorous
Colonial
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Kleptoparasitic
Monogamous
Moulting
Egg layer
Parental investment
Predator
Scavenger
Visual communication