Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Most Ring-billed Gulls return to breed at the very same colony where they were originally hatched.
- Scientific name
- Larus delawarensis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Laridae › Larus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Coastal beaches, freshwater lakes, rivers, and human-modified landscapes like parking lots and landfills.
- Diet
- Omnivorous: fish, insects, earthworms, grain, and scavenged human refuse.
- Range
- North America, Canada, United States, Mexico
- Size
- 45 cm length with a 1.2 meter wingspan
- Lifespan
- 10 to 20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Plastic ingestion, lead poisoning from fishing tackle, and collisions with vehicles.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but bold opportunists. Do not feed them, as this encourages aggressive begging and poor health. Maintain a distance of 5 meters. If they approach your food, secure it and move away. They are not dangerous to humans, though they may peck if handled or cornered.
The ring-billed gull ( Larus delawarensis ) is a medium-sized gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific delawarensis refers to the Delaware River.
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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