Guide to North American Birds
Family Gulls and Terns
Long considered just a yellow-legged race of the Herring Gull, this form was recently recognized as a full species. Native to southern Europe, it has strayed very rarely to eastern North America.

Photo Gallery

Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.

Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

Download Our Bird Guide App

See a fully interactive migration map for over 450 bird species on the Bird Migration Explorer.

Learn more

Songs and Calls

A deep, strident kyow.
Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
Learn more about this sound collection.