# European Herring Gull

*Larus argentatus*

They demonstrate 'rain-dancing' by drumming their feet on the ground to mimic the vibrations of rain, coaxing earthworms to the surface.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Laridae › Larus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Coastal cliffs, rocky shores, estuaries, and increasingly urban environments like rooftops and landfills.
- **Diet:** Opportunistic omnivore: fish, crustaceans, mollusks, insects, smaller birds, and human food waste.
- **Range:** North Atlantic coasts, Western Europe, Scandinavia, British Isles
- **Size:** Wingspan of 130-150 cm; body length of 55-67 cm.
- **Lifespan:** 12-20 years in the wild, though some have lived over 30 years.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Changes in industrial fishing practices, plastic pollution, and loss of natural nesting sites due to coastal development.
- **Safe to approach?:** Generally harmless but can be aggressive if they perceive a threat to their nest or have been habituated to human food. Do not feed them. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water and monitor for infection.

## About

Herring gull is a common name for several birds in the genus Larus and may refer to:

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6aac3bbb-58fc-4f8f-8f9c-f409d600634d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/204533
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring gull
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/308158217/medium.jpeg (Stu's Images, 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.