The Herring Gull is the archetypal large gull of the Northern Hemisphere — a pale gray-backed, pink-legged bird with a yellow bill sporting a red spot the chicks peck to stimulate feeding. It takes four years to attain adult plumage, passing through confusing intermediate stages. It has learned to drop hard-shelled prey from height to crack them open on hard surfaces.
Best time to see a Herring Gull
The best time to see a Herring Gull is July–January, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 54,784 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Herring Gull? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Herring Gull sightings near you
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