Birds
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus · also called herring gulls
Pecking instinctively at the red spot on a parent’s yellow bill, a herring gull chick triggers one of the best-studied feeding cues in animal behaviour, a small ritual played out on rooftops and cliffs across the Northern Hemisphere’s coastlines.
Overview
The herring gull, Larus argentatus, is a large, adaptable gull native to coastal and grassland habitat across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Its pale grey back and pink legs, red-spotted bill that triggers chick feeding behaviour, and growing presence on urban rooftops make it one of the most recognisable and behaviourally studied large gulls found anywhere in the world.
A bird of two very different fortunes
The herring gull’s story is really two stories at once, since a handful of adaptable urban populations have grown even as the species’ traditional coastal and island colonies have declined sharply enough to earn it red-list status in parts of its range.
Status
Least Concern globally, though declining sharply at natural coastal and island colonies even as urban populations thrive.
Herring Gull: common questions
Why do herring gull chicks peck at their parent's bill?
Herring gull chicks peck at the red spot on their parent's yellow bill because this instinctive behaviour triggers the adult to regurgitate food, a feeding cue first studied as a classic example of an innate animal response.
Why have herring gulls moved into towns and cities?
This species has increasingly nested on flat and pitched rooftops in coastal towns because these sites are safe from ground predators and close to abundant food from streets, bins, and landfill sites.
Is the herring gull actually declining or thriving?
Both, depending on where you look. Urban and landfill-associated populations have grown, but the species has declined sharply at its traditional coastal and island breeding colonies due to changes in fishing, disturbance, predation, and disease.
How can you identify a herring gull?
This species can be identified by its pale grey back, white head and body, pink legs, and yellow bill marked with a red spot, a combination of features that distinguishes it from many similar large gulls.