# American Herring Gull (*Larus smithsonianus*) The American Herring Gull is a large bird often seen near oceans and lakes. They have gray wings and a white body, and they love to squawk and search for food. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 25 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![American Herring Gull](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/American_Herring_Gull_-_natures_pics.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Herring_Gull_-_natures_pics.jpg) ## Appearance The American Herring Gull has a bright white head and body with light gray wings tipped in black. Its stout yellow bill features a distinctive red spot on the lower mandible, making it easily recognizable among other gulls. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Larus ## Interesting facts - A Herring Gull can drink both fresh and saltwater, thanks to special glands! - The oldest recorded American Herring Gull lived for over 30 years! - Their fluffy chicks are camouflaged with brown spots to hide from predators. - They are known to drop hard-shelled food, like clams, from high in the sky to crack them open! ## Special abilities - **Strong Beak Power:** American Herring Gull can crack open tough shells because of its powerful, hooked beak and strong jaw muscles. - **Sharp Aerial Vision:** American Herring Gull can spot tiny food from high above because of its excellent eyesight that helps them forage efficiently. - **Adaptable Eating Gape:** American Herring Gull can swallow surprisingly large items whole because of its wide gape and flexible throat muscles. - **Fluid Water Prowess:** American Herring Gull has webbed feet that help them paddle and float effortlessly while searching for food on water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 56-66 cm - **Wingspan:** 137-152 cm - **Weight:** 0.8-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-3 - **Incubation:** 25-30 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding This clever bird eats almost anything it can find, from fish to discarded snacks! - **Age differences:** Young gulls are fed by parents and gradually learn to forage on their own for various foods. - **Primary Foods:** fish, crustaceans, insects, eggs, carrion, human refuse - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Common Tern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-tern) (*Sterna hirundo*) — Gulls often prey on eggs and chicks from tern colonies. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes often prey on gull eggs, chicks, or injured adults. - **Eats:** [Atlantic Mackerel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-mackerel) (*Scomber scombrus*) — Gulls dive to catch these fish near the water surface. - **Eats:** [Eastern Oyster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-oyster) (*Crassostrea virginica*) — Gulls drop these hard-shelled mollusks to break them open. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Don't feed the gulls, as they can become too friendly and might grab your food! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Herring Gull? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is American Herring Gull? 56-66 cm ### What is American Herring Gull's wingspan? 137-152 cm ### How much does American Herring Gull weigh? 0.8-1.5 kg ### How long does American Herring Gull live? 15-20 years ### How fast can American Herring Gull move? 60 km/h ### What does American Herring Gull eat? This clever bird eats almost anything it can find, from fish to discarded snacks! ### Where is American Herring Gull usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Bellevue Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bolsa-chica-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Broadway-Armory Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-armory-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see American Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-herring-gull) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [American Herring Gull: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-herring-gull)