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Herring Gull Larus argentatus
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 16,400,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 16,400,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Unknown | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 13 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The population is estimated to number 2.7-5.7 million individuals, including totals for Larus heuglini. | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant decrease over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | |||
| Belgium | Native | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Colombia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Native | No | |||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Cyprus | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Czech Republic | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Vagrant | No | |||
| Egypt | Vagrant | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Estonia | Native | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Native | No | |||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| France | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greece | Native | No | |||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Native | No | |||
| Hungary | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Native | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Ireland | Native | No | |||
| Israel | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Vagrant | No | |||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Kazakhstan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | |||
| Lithuania | Native | No | |||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | |||
| Malta | Vagrant | No | |||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Moldova | Vagrant | No | |||
| Mongolia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montenegro | Vagrant | No | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Vagrant | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palau | Unknown | No | |||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Vagrant | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Serbia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| Spain | Native | No | |||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sweden | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Native | No | |||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Vagrant | No | |||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Vagrant | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Île aux Basques et Les Razades |  |
| Canada | Île aux Fraises | |
| Canada | Île aux Pommes | |
| Canada | Île Nue de Mingan | |
| Canada | Îles Les Boules | |
| Canada | Îles Pèlerins | |
| Canada | Îles Sainte-Marie | |
| Canada | Baie des Escoumins et Grandes-Bergeronnes | |
| Canada | Banc de Carleton | |
| Canada | Barrage de Beauharnois | |
| Canada | Bonaventure Island | |
| Canada | Cap Tourmente | |
| Canada | Corbin Island | |
| Canada | Corossol Island | |
| Canada | Grand Manan Archipelago | |
| Canada | La Grosse Boule Island | |
| Canada | Marais de Saint-Fulgence | |
| Canada | Montmagny | |
| Canada | Niagara River Corridor | |
| Canada | Pelee Island Archipelago | |
| Canada | Pittock Reservoir | |
| Canada | Quidi Vidi Lake | |
| Canada | Quoddy Region | |
| Canada | Sable Island, Nova Scotia | |
| Canada | Saint-Augustin Migratory Bird Sanctuary | |
| Canada | Shigawake-Newport | |
| Canada | Tadoussac | |
| Canada | Wildwood Gull Roost | |
| Canada | Witless Bay Islands | |
| Denmark | Northern Kattegat | |
| Denmark | Skagerrak-Southwest Norwegian trench | |
| France | Archipel de Molène | |
| France | Archipel des Glénan | |
| France | Cap Gris-nez | |
| France | Estuaire de la Canche | |
| France | Traicts et marais salants de la Presqu'île Guérandaise | |
| Mongolia | Dashinchilen Bayan Lake | |
| Mongolia | Erkhel Lake | |
| Mongolia | Oigon Lake | |
| Norway | Hornøy and Reinøy | |
| Russia (Asian) | Angara river source | |
| Russia (Asian) | Iony island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Ol'khon area | |
| Russia (European) | Berezovye islands of Vyborg Bay | |
| Russia (European) | Seskar island | |
| United Kingdom | Firth of Forth Islands | |
| United Kingdom | Isle of Man Sea Cliffs | |
| United Kingdom | Morecambe Bay | |
| United Kingdom | Upper Solway Flats and Marshes | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Excavations (open) | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | marginal | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Eggs | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Larus argentatus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Laridae (Gulls and terns) |
| Species name author | Pontoppidan, 1763 |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Unknown |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 16,400,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
|
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