Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The European herring gull or simply herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. It breeds throughout the northern and western coasts of Europe. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate farther south in winter, but many are permanent residents, such as in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Continents
Countries
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Canada
- China
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Korea
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Poland
- Russia
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Somalia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: European herring gull
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.