Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom
45 gulls, terns and skimmers recorded in the United Kingdom 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.
45 gulls, terns and skimmers have been recorded in the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom to know first
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
Audouin’s GullIchthyaetus audouinii
Black TernChlidonias niger
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
Bonaparte’s GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus
Caspian GullLarus cachinnans
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
Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens
The full list — 45 gulls, terns and skimmers of the United Kingdom in our library
- American Herring Gull
- Arctic Tern
- Audouin’s Gull
- Black Tern
- Black-headed Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- Bridled Tern
- Caspian 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
- Grey-headed Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Iceland Gull
- Inca Tern
- Ivory Gull
- Kelp Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Least Tern
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Lesser Crested Tern
- Little Gull
- Little Tern
- Mediterranean Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Roseate Tern
- Ross’s Gull
- Royal Tern
- Sabine’s Gull
- Sandwich Tern
- Silver Gull
- Slaty-backed Gull
- Slender-billed Gull
- Sooty Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Yellow-legged Gull
Keep exploring
- Birds of the United Kingdom
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of the United Kingdom (115 species)
- Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of the United Kingdom (59 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of the United Kingdom (54 species)
- Old World Flycatchers & Chats of the United Kingdom (35 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of the United Kingdom (29 species)
- True Finches of the United Kingdom (29 species)
- Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of the United Kingdom (28 species)
- Thrushes of the United Kingdom (22 species)
- Old World Buntings of the United Kingdom (19 species)
- Owls of the United Kingdom (19 species)
- Plovers of the United Kingdom (19 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 Canada (43 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many gulls, terns and skimmers are found in the United Kingdom?
45 gulls, terns and skimmers that we profile appear on the United Kingdom'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 the United Kingdom'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 the United Kingdom 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.