# Short-billed Gull (*Larus brachyrhynchus*) The Short-billed Gull is a playful bird that loves to hang out near water. With its short, stubby bill, it can catch tasty fish and snacks from the shore! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Short-billed Gull](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mew_Gull_RWD1.jpg&width=800) Photo: DickDaniels ( http://theworldbirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mew_Gull_RWD1.jpg) ## Appearance The Short-billed Gull is a medium-sized gull with a clean white head and underparts, a grey back, and grey wings tipped with black. It has greenish-yellow legs and a distinctive short, slender yellow bill, which often shows a subtle dark band. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Larus ## Interesting facts - Baby Short-billed Gulls wear fuzzy, spotted camouflage for hiding from predators. - In winter, their clean white heads turn streaky brown, like a subtle disguise! - Sometimes, they drop clams onto rocks from the air to crack them open! - They stomp their feet on the ground to trick worms into coming up! ## Special abilities - **Spotlight Vision:** Short-billed Gull has keen eyesight that helps them spot tiny fish and insects from high in the sky. - **Feathered Raincoat:** Short-billed Gull has waterproof feathers that keep them warm and dry, even after diving into chilly water. - **Migration Navigator:** Short-billed Gull can fly thousands of kilometers using an amazing sense of direction to find their winter homes. - **Adaptable Appetite:** Short-billed Gull can eat many different foods, helping them find meals in various habitats like coasts and fields. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 41-49 cm - **Wingspan:** 104-124 cm - **Weight:** 0.32-0.55 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 23-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These gulls are expert scavengers and hunters, eating almost anything they can find, from fish to insects! - **Primary Foods:** fish, marine invertebrates, insects, worms, berries, carrion - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Eagles sometimes prey on adult gulls or steal their food. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes raid gull nests, preying on eggs and chicks. - **Hunts:** Three-spined Stickleback (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*) — Gulls hunt these small fish in shallow waters. - **Eats:** [Evergreen Huckleberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/evergreen-huckleberry) (*Vaccinium ovatum*) — Gulls enjoy eating the sweet berries from these plants. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [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. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [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. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch gulls from a distance, as they can be protective of their food. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Short-billed 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 Short-billed Gull? 41-49 cm ### What is Short-billed Gull's wingspan? 104-124 cm ### How much does Short-billed Gull weigh? 0.32-0.55 kg ### How long does Short-billed Gull live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Short-billed Gull move? 60 km/h ### What does Short-billed Gull eat? These gulls are expert scavengers and hunters, eating almost anything they can find, from fish to insects! ### Where is Short-billed Gull usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Brooks River Archeological District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooks-river-archeological-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Chicken Ridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chicken-ridge-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Saxman Totem Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saxman-totem-park) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Gakona Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gakona-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium-washington) — Washington, US · Zoo - [Amalik Bay Archeological District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/amalik-bay-archeological-district) — US · Historic District [View all places to see Short-billed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/short-billed-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: [Short-billed Gull: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/short-billed-gull)