We take a closer look at these intelligent, adaptable – and much-maligned – seabirds, and highlight the six most recognised species of British gulls.
What's the difference between a seagull and a gull?
The simple answer to this question is there isn't really a difference between seagulls and gulls. Gull is the family name (Laridae) for this species, and seagull is a nickname for some family members. However, the herring gull is the most common gull species, and the one often thought of as a seagull.
Where do seagulls live?
Most gulls are found near water, including coasts, but some also frequent inland areas like lakes, rivers, and landfills.
What do seagulls eat?
Seagulls are nature's ultimate opportunists when it comes to food. With sharp beaks and keen eyesight, they're primarily scavengersr, feasting on fish scraps, dead animals, and invertebrates found near water.
But they've also become masters at exploiting human waste, snatching food scraps and treating landfills as all-you-can-eat buffets.
How long do seagulls live?
They can live for an average of 10-20 years.
Are seagulls protected?
Following the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it's illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or take any gull species, their chicks, or destroy their active nests.
Are seagulls intelligent?
Seagulls are considered intelligent birds, particularly among larger gull species. While they're not as clever as crows, they are adept at problem-solving, especially accessing food. They demonstrate communication skills with their loud calls and body language, which warn of danger and coordinate others into action. Some even feel they have a strong memory and are able to recognise faces of people who feed them.
Of course, seagulls have also successfully adapted to human environments and learned to exploit new food sources like landfills or readily available handouts from tourists.
How many species of gull are there?
There are over 50 different gull species worldwide. They are typically medium-sized birds with white and gray feathers, webbed feet, and hooked beaks.
Here are the six most recognised species of British gulls:
Herring gull
The most common roof-nesting gull is also a bird of coastal estuaries and rocky cliff sites. The adults produce the ‘long call’. Its intense emotional quality (joy? melancholy?) is the signature sound of the British seaside.
Black-headed gull
The smallest of our gulls is actually brown-headed and the feature is present only in summer. It's the gull most frequently found in inland situations, from city centres to park ponds. It is also the regular gull that follows the farmer as he ploughs the fields.
Common gull
Similar to the herring gull, Larus canus is smaller and much more shy and gentle. It breeds widely in northern England and Scotland – its drawn-out wailing notes are part of the soundtrack for many inland lochs and rocky shorelines.
Lesser black-backed gull
Once a seasonal migrant that left in winter, this is increasingly found at all seasons in Britain. It is also the other gull routinely found in urban settings.
Great black-backed gull
With a wingspan of a metre and a half, the world’s biggest gull has a magnificent meanness. This formidable predator can catch and despatch rabbits whole or drill through the impenetrable hide of long-dead whales.
Find out more about gulls
Check out our expert, comprehensive guides to terns - part of the same family as gulls, but usually smaller and more slender, as well as British seabirds and the 10 most intelligent wild animals in Britain.