American Herring Gull

American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) is in the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 56,121 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph American Herring Gull: observations by month (U.S.)

About American Herring Gull

The American herring gull or Smithsonian gull (Larus smithsonianus or Larus argentatus smithsonianus) is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithological Society as a subspecies of herring gull (L. argentatus).From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

American Herring Gull by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis

Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla

Western GullLarus occidentalis

Royal TernThalasseus maximus

Forster's TernSterna forsteri

California GullLarus californicus

Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia

Heermann's GullLarus heermanni

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ