What Species

Picture of Gulls on beach by Karol D from Pexels

Gull Identification Decision Tree

Behind the term ‘seagulls’ there are a number of different species that differ in their biology. In the UK we have many species of gulls, but we want to focus on the species with which humans most commonly interact.

What colour has the head of your Gull?

Dark Chocolate brown...?

Black-headed gull in breeding plumage

 

White with a smudge/spot behind the eye, and with white neck...?

Black=headed Gull in winter plumage

 

White with a smudge/spot behind the eye, and black collar...?

Kittiwake in flight

If the head of your Gull is just white, move to next question below...

cartoon of pointing hand with two gulls

What colour has the bill of your Gull?

Orange-Red...?

Black=headed Gull in winter plumage

If the bill of your gull is mostly yellow with maybe a red spot, move to next question below...

cartoon of pointing hand with two gulls

What colour have the wings and legs of your gull?

wings are dark (charcoal) grey and legs are pale pink flesh-coloured...?

A pair Great Black-backed Gulls guarding their territory   

Wings are dark (charcoal) grey and legs are yellow...?

Lesser Black-backed Gull in a breeding colony

Wings are light (silvery) grey and legs are yellow-greenish...?

Common Gull

Wings are light (silvery) grey and legs are pale pink flesh coloured...?

A pair of Herring Gulls in the

Wings are light (silvery) grey and legs are black...?  

Kittiwake in flight

If you are not sure what species you see, the App will also help you with the some simple questions to identify the species you see. If you are still unsure, or would like confirmation, and you have a photo of it, send it on twitter to @GullsEyeProject with location and date.
Although all these species are reported to breed increasingly in cities, their total national populations are declining to the extent that all are either on the Red or Amber list of species of conservation concerns. 

Note that the head of all white-headed gulls can be streaky during the winter.
Immatures are mottled brown and are difficult to identify to species.

For how to identify also rarer gulls that can occasionally be seen in the British Isles, please see this very useful link