Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Vega Gull
Larus vegae
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Vega gull, East Siberian gull, or East Siberian herring gull (Larus vegae) is a large gull of the herring gull/lesser black-backed gull complex which breeds in Northeast Asia. Its classification is still controversial and uncertain. It is variously treated as a separate species, as a subspecies of the American herring gull (L. smithsonianus) or included with both the American herring gull and European herring gull in L. argentatus. The Mongolian gull Larus mongolicus was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Vega gull.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds Arctic central and eastern Siberia from Taymyr eastward to Chukotka, New Siberian Islands, and St. Lawrence Island (Bering Sea); winters mostly to rocky coasts of Japan, Korean Peninsula, and eastern China.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Vega gull
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
