Waterbirds: Fliers

Gulls, Terns

Gulls (27 species) thrive in densely populated urban areas and travel 30-40 miles to feed. Many species are difficult to identify and some hybridize frequently. Crossley recommends learning the often encountered species which, for the coastal areas, would include Ring-billed, Mew, California, Herring, Glaucous-winged and Western Gulls.

Terns (18 species) are in the same family as gulls but are slim, angular-winged birds with long, forked tails and graceful buoyant flight. Most species feed exclusively on fish, which are mostly captured by plunge-diving, although some species pick food from the water’s surface. A few (e.g. Gull-billed Tern) pluck invertebrates from mud.