# Common Gull (*Larus canus*) The Common Gull is a friendly bird often seen near water. It has a white body with gray wings and a cheerful call that sounds like laughter. These birds love to eat fish and scraps from people. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Common Gull](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Larus_canus_Common_Gull_in_Norway.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Larus_canus_Common_Gull_in_Norway.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Gull is a medium-sized gull with a clean white head, body, and tail, set against a grey back and upper wings. It has distinctive black wingtips with white spots, and its bill and legs are a dull greenish-yellow. This gull can be distinguished by its smaller size and dark eyes compared to many larger gulls. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Larus ## Interesting facts - Common Gulls can drink both fresh and saltwater, thanks to special glands above their eyes! - The oldest recorded Common Gull lived for an incredible 33 years! - Their chicks are born with camouflage down, helping them hide from predators on the ground. - They often drop hard-shelled food, like mussels, onto rocks to break them open! ## Special abilities - **Adaptable Eater:** Common Gulls can eat many different foods, from insects to fish, because they have a flexible diet that helps them survive almost anywhere. - **Swift Flier:** Common Gulls have long, strong wings that help them glide efficiently and cover long distances quickly when searching for food or migrating. - **Sharp-eyed Hunter:** Common Gulls have excellent eyesight that helps them spot tiny prey on land or small fish in the water from high above. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-46 cm - **Wingspan:** 110-125 cm - **Weight:** 0.29-0.55 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-24 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 23-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 2000 km ## Diet & Feeding Common Gulls are opportunistic eaters, feasting on almost anything from insects to fish and human scraps! - **Primary Foods:** Insects, Fish, Worms, Berries, Human scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Earthworm](https://www.snappit.app/explore/earthworm) (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Common Gulls forage in fields, eating worms brought to the surface. - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Cod](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-cod) (*Gadus morhua*) — They hunt for small fish like cod juveniles in shallow coastal waters. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Red Foxes are predators of gull eggs and vulnerable young chicks. - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Gulls often scavenge food scraps and waste left by humans. ## 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. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [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:** 1/5 · Very low Don't feed the gulls too much, as they can get used to people and might become too bold. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common 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 Common Gull? 40-46 cm ### What is Common Gull's wingspan? 110-125 cm ### How much does Common Gull weigh? 0.29-0.55 kg ### How long does Common Gull live? 10-24 years ### How fast can Common Gull move? 60 km/h ### What does Common Gull eat? Common Gulls are opportunistic eaters, feasting on almost anything from insects to fish and human scraps! ### Where is Common Gull usually found? Coastal areas ## 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: [Common Gull: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-gull)