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Larus argentatus

(Herring Gull)

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Zilvermeeuw

Common Names in English:

Common Gull, Harbor Gull, Herring Gull, Lake Gull, Sea Gull, Vega Gull, Winter Gull

Common Names in French:

Goèland Argentè, Goéland Argenté, Goland Argent

Common Names in German:

Silbermöwe

Common Names in Hebrew:

שחף כספי

Common Names in Italian:

Gabbiano Reale Nordico

Common Names in Japanese:

セグロカモメ

Common Names in Russian:

Серебристая чайка, Чайка серебристая, Serebristaya Chayka

Common Names in Spanish:

Gaviota Argentea, Gaviota Plateada

Description

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Physical Description

Adult : Head : white Face : Eye Color: light yellow Bill: yellow Lower Mandible: yellow with red spot Size: large Neck: white Body: Breast: white Mantle: pale gray Rump : white Underparts: white Legs : Foot Color: creamy pink Leg Color: creamy pink Tail: white.Adult Winter: Head: white streaked with brownish Face: Eye Color: light yellow Bill: yellow Lower Mandible: yellow with red spot Size: large Neck: white streaked with brownish Body: Breast: white Mantle: pale gray Rump: white Underparts: white Legs: Foot Color: creamy pink Leg Color: creamy pink Tail: white.First Winter: Face: Eye Color: brown Bill: dull flesh with black tip Lower Mandible: yellow with red spot Size: large Body: Breast: white Mantle: pale gray Rump: white Legs: Foot Color: creamy pink Leg Color: creamy pink Wings: Remiges : dusky.

Color:

Adult alternate: Bright yellow bill with red spot at gonys · Pink legs · Yellow iris · White head , neck, breast, and belly · Gray back and upperwings · White tertial crescent · Black primaries with white tips and two white mirrors on outer primaries · White tail

Adult basic: Like adult alternate but blurry brown streaking and spotting on head and nape

Juvenile/First-year: Black bill · Brown body plumage · Dark brown primaries and secondaries · Black legs quickly become pink · Dark barred rump · Dark tail

Second-year: Pinkish bill with black tip · Pale brown head, neck, upper breast, and belly · Dull brown upperwing coverts · Dark brown primaries and tail · Gray back · White tail with black terminal band

Third-year: Like adult basic, but often lacks adult bill pattern , wing pattern, and often retains a partial tail band

Size/Age/Growth

About 22 to 26 inches long, with a wingspan of 54 to 58 inches. Adults weigh about 43.2 ounces .

Habitat

Vegetation: freshwater marshes, coastal waters, coastal sand beaches and mudflats, coastal rocky beaches, freshwater lakes and ponds • Sensitivity to Disturbancet: Low

Biology

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Diet

Almost Exclusively: Fish Aquatic Invertebrates . Lesser Quantities of: Carrion Insects Plant Matter Birds Small Mammals

Reproduction

Migration

Migratory

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001.

Similar Species

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California Gull, Ring-Billed Gull

Members of the genus Larus

There are approximately 173 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

L. alba · L. argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus antelius · L. argentatus argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus argenteus · L. argentatus atlantis · L. argentatus birulae · L. argentatus cachinnans · L. argentatus drosti · L. argentatus heuglini · L. argentatus michahellis · L. argentatus mongolicus · L. argentatus omissus · L. argentatus smithsonianus · L. argentatus thayeri · L. argentatus vegae · L. armenicus (Armenian Gull) · L. atlanticus (OlrogÌs Gull) · L. atricilla (Laughing Gull) · L. atricilla atricilla (Laughing Gull) · L. atricilla megalopterus · L. audouini · L. audouinii (AudouinÌs Gull) · L. azarae · L. belcheri (Band-Tailed Gull) · L. belcheri atlanticus · L. belcheri belcheri (Band-Tailed Gull) · L. borealis · L. brachyrhynchus (Mew Gull) · L. brevirostris (Red-Legged Kittiwake) · L. bridgesii · L. brunneicephalus · L. brunnicephalus (Indian Black-Headed Gull) · L. bulleri (Black-Billed Gull) · L. cachin · L. cachinans · L. cachinnans (Yellow-Legged Gull) · L. cachinnans atlantis · L. cachinnans barabensis · L. cachinnans cachinnans · L. cachinnans michahellis · L. cachinnans mongolicus · L. californicus (Californian Gull) · L. californicus albertaensis (Light-Mantled California Gull) · L. californicus californicus (Dark-Mantled California Gull) · L. canus (Common Kamchatka Gull) · L. canus brachyrhynchus (Mew Gull) · L. canus canus (Common Kamchatka Gull) · L. canus heinei (Mew Gull) · L. canus kamtschatschensis (Eastern Common Gull) · L. canus stegmanni · L. capensis · L. capistratus · L. cirrhocephalus · L. cirrocephalus (Grey-Headed Gull) · L. cirrocephalus cirrocephalus (Gray-Hooded Gull) · L. cirrocephalus poicephalus · L. cirrocephalus poiocephalus · L. crassirostris (Black-Tailed Gull) · L. delawarensis (Ring-Billed Gull) · L. delewarensis · L. dominicanus (Southern Black-Backed Gull) · L. dominicanus austrinus · L. dominicanus dominicanus (Southern Black-Backed Gull) · L. dominicanus judithae · L. dominicanus melisandae · L. dominicanus vetula · L. eburnea (Ivory Gull) · L. eburneus · L. elegans · L. fuliginosus (Dusky Gull) · L. furcatus (Swallow-Tailed Gull) · L. fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus graellsi · L. fuscus graellsii (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus heuglini · L. fuscus intermedius · L. gelastes · L. genei (Slender-Billed Gull) · L. glaucescens (Glaucous-Winged Gull) · L. glaucescens occidentalis · L. glaucescens x · L. glaucoides (White-Winged Gull) · L. glaucoides glaucoides (White-Winged Gull) · L. glaucoides kumlieni (Kumlien's Gull) · L. glaucoides thayeri (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucus · L. graellsii · L. haematorhynchus · L. hartlaubi · L. hartlaubii (King Gull) · L. heermanni (White-Headed Gull) · L. heermannii · L. hemprichi · L. hemprichii (Sooty Gull) · L. hermanni · L. heuglini · L. heuglini heuglini · L. hybrid

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal December 07, 2007:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2009-06-19