A common sight on our coastlines and a summertime soundtrack, here’s a guide to the six most common UK gull species.
Gulls, those famous seaside chip-stealers, are large types of seabirds. None of them are actually called ‘seagulls,’ and they can be found miles from the sea – but they’re quite difficult to tell apart.
We have ten species in the UK, but the ones you’re most likely to see are the Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, and Kittiwake. See below for our ID tips and you’ll be a top gull-spotter in no time.
To start with, the Black-headed Gull’s head is more of a chocolate brown, and for much of the year, it has a white head! They have a brown head during the breeding season, and a pale head with a black ear spot over the rest of the year. Look out for the deep red bill. They’re around 35cm long, and they’re noisy gulls, prone to squawking.
Sociable, a bit quarrelsome, and noisy, they feed on worms, insects, fish, and carrion.
Black-headed Gulls tend to nest on the ground in tightly packed colonies within dense vegetation. The female lays two or three eggs between April and May.
Black-headed gulls can be seen all year round in the UK.
You can see Black-headed Gulls almost anywhere inland, as well as near estuaries, reedbeds and gravel pits.
The scientific name for the Black-headed Gull is Chroicocephalus ridibundus. which translates to ‘coloured head laughing gull’ based on their plumage and iconic call.
They don’t look anything like a herring! Herring Gulls are large, noisy gulls. Breeding adults have a yellow bill with a distinctive red spot, and a white head. Their black wingtips have white spots, and they have pale grey backs. Measuring between 54 and 60cm, they’re a very large gull and the soundtrack to our seaside towns and cities. Young birds in their first year will be mottled brown in colour.
Herring Gulls are now a firm fixture of towns and cities. They tend to feed on fish, insects, carrion, and any discarded rubbish. You might see them imitating rain with their feet as they encourage worms to the surface.
At around four years old, they will begin breeding. They tend to nest on the ground, on cliff ledges, or on rooftops and will return to nest sites every year. The female lays two or three eggs in mid-April.
Herring Gulls can be seen in the UK all year round.
Herring Gulls aren’t just associated with our coastlines. They’re now a firm feature of our towns, cities, and at times even the countryside.
Herring Gull chicks will peck at the red spot on their parent’s beak to let them know they are hungry.
At around 78cm long, they’re the world’s largest gull! Great Black-backed Gulls are much larger than other gull species, with a powerful beak, black back, white head and body, and pink legs. They have a large white edge on their outer wings. Their call is said to sound like a loud bark (and they’re around the size of a small dog!).
These bruisers come with an attitude to match! They’re often seen fighting off other gull species for food. They eat shellfish, crustaceans, fish and will take small mammals if the opportunity arises.
They prefer to nest on cliff ledges or scrapes, and the female tends to lay three eggs between April and May.
Great Black-backed Gulls can be seen all year round.
Look out for them on UK coastlines in the summer. During winter, they may be seen slightly more inland on estuaries and lakes.
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The oldest living Great Black-backed Gull was recorded in 2015, a staggering 26 years old!
The Lesser Black-backed Gull is slightly smaller than a Herring Gull, with dark grey back and wings, a yellow bill, and yellow legs. Their black wingtips have white spots. These gulls measure between 52 and 64cm, and their call consists of various barks and yelps.
They can often be seen with flocks of other large gulls. They feed on a large variety of food including fish, worms, and edible rubbish (and abandoned chips).
They tend to nest on a patch of grass on the ground but have expanded to use rooftops of some buildings in certain areas. They begin breeding at four years old when the female lays two to three eggs.
Lesser Black-backed Gulls can be seen in the UK all year round but some of our breeding population moves south during the autumn to spend winter around the coast of southern Spain, Portugal, and as far as north Africa.
You can see Lesser Black-backed Gulls on coastal areas all year round. They can also be seen on estuaries, shorelines, and farmland.
The UK is home to 40% of the European population of Lesser Black-backed Gulls!
Common Gulls look like smaller versions of Herring Gulls, with greenish legs and a yellow bill. Like the Herring Gull and Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, they have white spots on their wing tips. They’re generally between 40 and 42cm long, and their calls sound like loud, high-pitched squealing.
Despite their name, they’re not particularly common, and are even on the Red List of Conservation Concern. They feed on worms, insects, fish, carrion, and rubbish.
They nest mainly in the north of England and Scotland where the females lay two to three eggs on a patch of grass usually within marshland or around lakes.
Common Gulls can be seen all year round.
Look out for them on farmland, wetland, and coastal areas.
Juvenile Common Gulls have pink legs. Their legs turn greenish as they mature.
Kittiwakes are medium-sized gulls with a small yellow bill and dark eyes. They have black legs which are obvious against their white bodies with a silvery-grey back. Their black wing tips do not have white markings, unlike other gulls. Their call sounds like their name: ‘Kitti-waake.’ Young birds have a black ‘w’ across their wings which you can see in flight.
They spend most of their lives out at sea, searching for food such as sandeels and other shoaling fish.
Kittiwakes have adapted to nesting on cliff ledges, laying one to two eggs within large colonies alongside other seabirds such as Guillemots and Razorbills.
You’re most likely to see them between February and August before they head out to sea for winter.
Look out for Kittiwakes in the spring and summer around the UK’s coastline. RSPB Bempton Cliffs is home to many pairs – take a look at them from the viewpoints.
The huge white chalk cliffs at Bempton are impressive at any time of year. But visit between April and July, and you'll find them transformed into England’s largest seabird city.
The River Tyne is home to the most inland, urban breeding colonies of Kittiwakes in the world. Here, these gulls have substituted cliff edges for window ledges and bridges. There are now over 1,000 breeding pairs along the river.
Typically, UK gulls live between 10 and 15 years.
Yes, most gulls form monogamous pair bonds, especially Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls.
They mostly eat fish and molluscs but are also very opportunistic feeders and feast on discarded human food too!
They tend to sleep in high places such as cliffs and rooftops, where they are safe from predators but will also sleep on open water.
Many UK gull species head inland in winter, away from the coasts. Look out for them on arable fields and sometimes following tractors!
The short answer is yes – they’re protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. Find out more here.
Sadly, many seabirds, including gulls, are under threat. If you’d like to help these seaside favourites, donate to our seabirds appeal.
Majestic, beautiful and enchanting, seabirds are sadly under threat.
