Herring Gull

(Larus argentatus)

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding

Minnesota

not listed

 
Herring Gull
Photo by Bobbi Johnson
 
Description

 

 

Size

23 to 26 in length

48 wingspan

 

Voice

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Breeding: Islands in large lakes

Non-breeding: Large lakes and rivers, wetlands, landfills

Ecology

Migration

 

 

Nesting

 

 

Food

Opportunistic feeder. Aquatic invertebrates, fish, insects, worms, other bird’s eggs, human food waste.

Distribution

Occurrence

Common migrant, locally common breeder

 

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy
Class Aves (birds)

Order

Charadriiformes (shorebirds and allies)

Family

Laridae (gulls, terns, and skimmers)

Subfamily

Larinae (gulls)

Genus

Larus (large white-headed gulls)
   

The American Herring Gull was formerly considered to be identical to the European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). The gulls are morphologically “near-indistinguishable.” Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies in 2004 (Liebers, et al.) and 2005 (Knijff et al.) showed a difference between North American and European specimens. It suggested that they were not closely related, even belonging to different clades. This, along with differences in vocalizations described in 1958, suggest that the species should be separated. However, this was, and remains, controversial. Since mtDNA drifts within populations through hybridization, some authorities insist that it cannot be used as the sole determinant in separating species. Also, the vocal data is not conclusive for several reasons.

The British Ornithologist’s Union (BOU) and the Association of European Rarities Committees accept the split and use the name Larus smithsonianus for the North American gull. The American Ornithologist’s Union (AOU) considered and rejected the split in 2007. It treats the North American gull as a subspecies of the European, and uses the name Larus argentatus smithsonianus.

   

Subordinate Taxa

American Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus)

   

Synonyms

Larus smithsonianus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bobbi Johnson

Herring Gull  

 

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Slideshows

Herring Gulls
Andree Reno Sanborn

Herring Gulls
About

Larus argentatus

Herring Gull
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Herring Gull

American Herring Gull - Larus smithsonianus
Jean-François Hic

American Herring Gull - Larus smithsonianus

American Herring Gull
JMC Nature Photos

American Herring Gull

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

American Herring Gull Boardwalk 1 Oct 16
Tim Root

About

Published on Oct 16, 2016

Despite being so much larger than the nearby Ring-Billed Gulls, that Herring Gull is still a juvenile. I think first-cycle plumage but am not certain.

American Herring Gull
Amar Ayyash

About

Uploaded on Nov 6, 2011

This individual kept coming back to pick at this dead fish. This was recorded on the Chicago lakefront. I waited 20 minutes for it to come back.

American Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) -First-Cycle
Stoil Ivanov

About

Published on Nov 29, 2013

American Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) first cycle eating a salmon carcass filmed 11-29-2013 at Montrose Wilson DOG BEACH - Chicago, IL

American Herring gull, adult winter, Galveston TX, Nov 2010
Hans Larsson

About

Uploaded on Nov 30, 2011

American Herring gull, Adult winter, Galveston TX, Nov 2010

American Herring Gull
Nelson Wu

About

Published on Aug 21, 2016

 

Camcorder

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