# Ring-billed Gull

*Larus delawarensis*

Most Ring-billed Gulls return to breed at the very same colony where they were originally hatched.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/2fa2f55f-3562-466f-a298-1d8ee560e832
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4364
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus delawarensis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/255075587/medium.jpg (Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.