American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) lives in coastal areas across North America. It feeds on fish and crustaceans. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the American Herring Gull
- Male American herring gulls stretch up to 66 cm (26 in) and tip the scales at 1,650 g (3.64 lb), while females top out at 62 cm (24 in) and 900 g (2.0 lb). Their wings can span a full 155 cm (61 in), giving them a wing chord of up to 46.8 cm (18.4 in) and a bill length that reaches 6.2 cm (2.4 in).
- A breeding pair builds a shallow scrape lined with grass, seaweed and feathers, then lays three eggs that measure 72 mm (2.8 in) long. Incubation lasts 30-32 days from the moment the second egg is set, after which chicks grow for 6-7 weeks before fledging, yet parents keep feeding them for another half-year. This long parental investment, backed by both adults sharing nest duties.
- When hunting clams or mussels, American herring gulls pick up the shell-bound prey, fly a short distance and drop it onto hard pavement or rocks to crack it open, a behavior that looks like a gull playing "drop-the-bomb". This technique lets them access nutritious meat, and the habit may be learned.
- First described as a new species in 1862 by Elliott Coues, the American herring gull was later lumped with the European herring gull until a 2002 genetic study showed it belongs to a separate gull clade. Following that, major ornithological bodies adopted the split, and in 2025 the American Ornithologists' Union officially recognized it as distinct, underscoring how modern DNA work can redraw long-standing bird classifications.
- The species breeds from central Alaska across Canada to the Great Lakes and the U.S. northeast, then winters as far south as Mexico, with occasional wanderers reaching Hawaii, Central America, the West Indies and even Colombia or Peru.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatCoastal areas
DietFish and crustaceans
About the American Herring Gull
As the American Herring Gull soars effortlessly above the coastal waters, its sleek, grey-brown form is a masterclass in adaptability, its piercing cry echoing through the salty air as it scans the waves below for the next unsuspecting morsel. With a fluid, almost languid motion, it banks and turns, its broad wings beating with a slow, powerful rhythm that belies the sharp, predatory intent that drives it. In its element, this gull is a true monarch of the shoreline, its remarkable agility and opportunistic spirit allowing it to thrive in a world of constant flux and abundance.
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