Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Massachusetts
39 gulls, terns and skimmers recorded in Massachusetts on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
39 gulls, terns and skimmers have been recorded in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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
Brown NoddyAnous stolidus
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
The full list — 39 gulls, terns and skimmers of Massachusetts 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
- Brown Noddy
- California Gull
- Caspian Tern
- Common Gull
- Common Tern
- Elegant Tern
- European Herring Gull
- Forster’s Tern
- Franklin’s Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Heermann’s Gull
- Iceland Gull
- Ivory Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Least Tern
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Little Gull
- 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
- White-winged Tern
Keep exploring
- Birds of Massachusetts
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Massachusetts (60 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of Massachusetts (47 species)
- New World Warblers of Massachusetts (44 species)
- New World Sparrows of Massachusetts (29 species)
- Tyrant Flycatchers of Massachusetts (24 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Massachusetts (18 species)
Gulls, Terns & Skimmers in other regions
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of California (43 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Florida (42 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Texas (42 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New York (40 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New Jersey (39 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Maryland (37 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Virginia (36 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Alaska (35 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Delaware (35 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of North Carolina (35 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Hawaii (34 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Illinois (34 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many gulls, terns and skimmers are found in Massachusetts?
39 gulls, terns and skimmers that we profile appear on Massachusetts's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these gulls, terns and skimmers really found there?
Yes — each one is on Massachusetts's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these gulls, terns and skimmers belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see gulls, terns and skimmers in Massachusetts right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.