Gulls

Gulls, Terns, and Jaegers of North America

North American birds include species found in the United States (excluding Hawaii) and Canada that are breeding species, regular visitors, and casual and accidental species from other regions that are believed to have strayed here without direct human aid, and well-established introduced species that are now part of our avifauna. In addition, as an identification aid, I have included photos of these species even if the photos were taken outside of the North American area.

All Photos are © Marshall Faintich

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Great Black-backed Gull


New Castle, NH
August 2011

New Castle, NH
August 2011

Cape Breton, Canada
July 2018

Marco Island, FL
January 2013

Marco Island, FL
January 2013

Assateague State Park
MD; November 2017

Southampton, England
October 2010

Chesapeake Bay BT
VA; February 2014

Chesapeake BAY BT
VA; January 2016

Chesapeake BAY BT
VA; January 2016

Chesapeake Bay BT
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR, VA
November 2014

Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls


Assateague State Park
MD; November 2017

Lesser Black-backed Gull


Assateague State Park
MD; November 2017

Assateague State Park
MD; November 2017

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2016

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Black-headed Gull


London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

London, England
October 2009

London, England
October 2009

London, England
October 2009

London, England
October 2009

Southampton, England
October 2010

Southampton, England
October 2010

London, England
July 2011

London, England
October 2011

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

London, England
November 2011

London, England
November 2011

London, England
November 2011

Southampton, England
July 2014

Southampton, England
July 2014

Southampton, England
May 2017

Bonaparte's Gull


Mathews Loop, VA
March 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2016

Grandview Preserve
VA; March 2016

Crozet, VA
May 2013

Crozet, VA
April 2020

Crozet, VA
April 2020

Mathews Loop, VA
January 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
January 2016

Mathews Loop, VA
January 2016

Indian River Inlet
DE; November 2017

Swoope, VA
April 2018

Swoope, VA
April 2018

Dayton, VA
April 2018

Huntington Beach SP
SC; January 2020

California Gull


Lake Louise, Canada
July 2013

Puget Sound, WA
August 2014

Short-billed (Mew) Gull


Denali NP, AK
July 2019

Talkeetna, AK
July 2019

Fairbanks, AK
July 2019

Fairbanks, AK
July 2019

Fairbanks, AK
July 2019

Franklin's Gull


Dayton, VA
May 2016

Dayton, VA
May 2016

Dayton, VA
May 2016

Dayton, VA
May 2016

Dayton, VA
May 2016

Dayton, VA
May 2016

Calgary, Canada
July 2013

Calgary, Canada
July 2013

Glaucous-winged Gull


Seward, AK
July 2019

Seward, AK
July 2019

Fox Island, AK
July 2019

Fox Island, AK
July 2019

Fox Island, AK
July 2019

Fox Island, AK
July 2019

Chiswell Islands, AK
July 2019

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Seattle, WA
July 2013

Seattle, WA
July 2013

Herring Gull


New Castle, NH
August 2011

New Castle, NH
August 2011

New Castle, NH
August 2011

Crozet, VA
November 2017

Southampton, England
October 2010

Southampton, England
October 2010

North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

Nenana, AK
July 2019

Williamsburg, VA
February 2018

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

Norfolk, VA
March 2015

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Norfolk, VA
November 2014

Chesapeake BAY BT
VA; January 2016

Herring Gull (Vega/Siberian sub-species)


Spencer Lake, AK
July 2019

Spencer Lake, AK
July 2019

Spencer Lake, AK
July 2019

Spencer Lake, AK
July 2019

Spencer Lake, AK
July 2019

Yellow-legged Gull


London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

Laughing Gull


Newport News, VA
September 2009

Delnor Wiggens SP, FL
January 2013

Newport News, VA
September 2009

Kure Beach, NC
July 2009

Dutch Gap, VA
July 2012

Kure Beach, NC
July 2009

Newport News, VA
September 2008

Back Bay NWR, VA
November 2016

Cambridge, MD
November 2019

Kure Beach, NC
August 2007

Delnor Wiggens SP, FL
January 2013

Myrtle Beach, SC
December 2019

Marco Island, FL
January 2014

Marco Island, FL
January 2014

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Ring-billed Gull


Newport News, VA
September 2009

Newport News, VA
September 2009

Little Island Park
VA; February 2020

Hilton Head, SC
February 2022

Newport News, VA
September 2009

Dutch Gap, VA
December 2012

Dutch Gap, VA
December 2012

Chesapeake Bay BT
VA; March 2015

New Castle, NH
August 2011

New Castle, NH
August 2011

Dutch Gap, VA
February 2013

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2013

Jasper NP, Canada
March 2013

Marco Island, FL
January 2014

Mt. Pleasant, SC
January 2015

Chesapeake Bay BT
VA; January 2016

Chesapeake Bay BT
VA; January 2016

Myrtle Beach, SC
December 2019

Huntington Beach SP
SC; January 2020

Huntington Beach SP
SC; January 2020

Western Gull


Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Puget Sound, WA
August 2015

Black-legged Kittiwake


Chiswell Islands, AK
July 2019

Chiswell Islands, AK
July 2019

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Swallow-tailed Gull


Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger)


Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

Back Bay NWR
VA; November 2016

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Great Skua


North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

North Atlantic Ocean
October 2010

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

Pomarine Skua (Jaeger)


North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
May 2017

Arctic Tern


King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

King Salmon, AK
July 2019

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

North Atlantic Ocean
July 2011

Black Tern


Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Crozet, VA
May 2012

Least Tern


South Padre Is, TX
May 2015

South Padre Is, TX
May 2015

Common Tern


New York, NY
July 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Nova Scotia, Canada
July 2018

Nova Scotia, Canada
July 2018

London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

London, England
July 2014

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Scotland
May 2017

Forster's Tern


Mt. Pleasant, SC
January 2015

Hilton Head, SC
February 2022

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Mathews Loop, VA
March 2013

Delnor Wiggens SP, FL
January 2013

Chincoteague NWR
VA; November 2017

Chincoteague NWR
VA; November 2017

Chincoteague NWR
VA; November 2017

Chincoteague NWR
VA; November 2017

Chincoteague NWR
VA; November 2017

Indian River Inlet
DE; November 2017

Hilton Head, SC
February 2016

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Rudee Inlet, VA
January 2016

Caspian Tern


Eagle Lakes, FL
January 2013

Eagle Lakes, FL
January 2013

Everglades, FL
January 2014

Everglades, FL
January 2014

Gull-billed Tern


Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Roseate Tern


Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Royal Tern


Naples, FL
January 2012

Naples, FL
January 2012

Naples, FL
January 2012

Naples, FL
January 2012

Grenada
March 2009

Kure Beach, NC
July 2009

Everglades, FL
January 2014

Everglades, FL
January 2014

Huntington Beach SP
SC; January 2020

Huntington Beach SP
SC; January 2020

Sandwich Tern


Kure Beach, NC
July 2009

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Bethel Beach, VA
August 2014

Sooty Tern


Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Brown (Common) Noddy


Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Great Barrier Reef, AU
January 2011

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Galápagos Islands
January 2019

Black Skimmer


Hilton Head, SC
February 2016

Hilton Head, SC
February 2016

Hilton Head, SC
February 2016

Hilton Head, SC
February 2016

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

Key West, FL
January 2008

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

Norfolk, VA
January 2016

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