Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Kentucky
26 gulls, terns and skimmers recorded in Kentucky 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.
26 gulls, terns and skimmers have been recorded in Kentucky 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 Kentucky to know first
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
Black SkimmerRynchops niger
Black TernChlidonias niger
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
Bonaparte’s GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
California GullLarus californicus
Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
Common TernSterna hirundo
Forster’s TernSterna forsteri
Franklin’s GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
The full list — 26 gulls, terns and skimmers of Kentucky in our library
- American Herring Gull
- Arctic Tern
- Black Skimmer
- Black Tern
- Black-headed Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- California Gull
- Caspian Tern
- Common Tern
- Forster’s Tern
- Franklin’s Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Iceland Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Least Tern
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Little Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Sabine’s Gull
- Sandwich Tern
- Short-billed Gull
- Sooty Tern
Keep exploring
- Birds of Kentucky
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Kentucky (51 species)
- New World Warblers of Kentucky (39 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of Kentucky (32 species)
- New World Sparrows of Kentucky (26 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 Massachusetts (39 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)
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 Kentucky?
26 gulls, terns and skimmers that we profile appear on Kentucky'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 Kentucky'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 Kentucky 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.