Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Canada

43 gulls, terns and skimmers have been recorded in Canada on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Laridae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.

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Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Canada to know first

• American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
• Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
• Black SkimmerRynchops niger
• Black TernChlidonias niger
• Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
• Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
• Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris
• Bonaparte’s GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
• Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus
• California GullLarus californicus
• Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
• Common GullLarus canus
• Common TernSterna hirundo
• Elegant TernThalasseus elegans
• European Herring GullLarus argentatus
• Forster’s TernSterna forsteri
• Franklin’s GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
• Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus

The full list — 43 gulls, terns and skimmers of Canada in our library

• American Herring Gull
• Arctic Tern
• Black Skimmer
• Black Tern
• Black-headed Gull
• Black-legged Kittiwake
• Black-tailed Gull
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Bridled Tern
• California Gull
• Caspian Tern
• Common Gull
• Common Tern
• Elegant Tern
• European Herring Gull
• Forster’s Tern
• Franklin’s Gull
• Glaucous Gull
• Glaucous-winged Gull
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Gull-billed Tern
• Heermann’s Gull
• Iceland Gull
• Ivory Gull
• Kelp Gull
• Laughing Gull
• Least Tern
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Little Gull
• Red-legged Kittiwake
• Ring-billed Gull
• Roseate Tern
• Ross’s Gull
• Royal Tern
• Sabine’s Gull
• Sandwich Tern
• Short-billed Gull
• Slaty-backed Gull
• Sooty Tern
• Vega Gull
• Western Gull
• White-winged Tern
• Yellow-legged Gull

Keep exploring

• Birds of Canada
• Ducks, Geese & Swans of Canada (77 species)
• Sandpipers & Allies of Canada (59 species)
• New World Warblers of Canada (45 species)
• New World Sparrows of Canada (33 species)
• Tyrant Flycatchers of Canada (30 species)
• Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Canada (25 species)
• True Finches of Canada (23 species)
• Petrels & Shearwaters of Canada (22 species)
• Auks, Murres & Puffins of Canada (20 species)
• New World Blackbirds & Orioles of Canada (19 species)
• Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Canada (18 species)
• Pigeons & Doves of Canada (18 species)
• Thrushes of Canada (18 species)

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers in other regions

• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States (61 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Japan (47 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom (45 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Portugal (42 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Spain (42 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of France (41 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of India (40 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Mexico (40 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ireland (38 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ecuador (37 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Australia (36 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Colombia (35 species)

Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.