Common Gull
Larus canus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus canus (Common Gull)
About the Common Gull
The common gull (Larus canus) is a gull that breeds in cool temperate regions of the Palearctic from Iceland and Scotland east to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Most common gulls migrate further south in winter, reaching the Mediterranean Sea, the southern Caspian Sea, and the seas around China and Japan; northwest European populations are at least partly resident. The closely related short-billed gull was formerly often included in this species, which was then sometimes known collectively as "mew gull".
The common gull was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Larus canus. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden. The genus name is a Latin word for a seabird, probably a gull. The specific epithet canus is also Latin and means "grey". The name "common gull" was coined by Thomas Pennant in 1768 because he considered it the most numerous of its genus. John Ray earlier used the name common sea-mall.
There are many old British regional names for this species, typically variations on maa, mar, and mew. The original English... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Common Gull in Vatnajokull National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 4 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 8 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 9 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 10 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 11 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 14 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Gull in Vatnajokull National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Gull sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 525 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Gull in Vatnajokull National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Common Gull in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.