Common Gull (Larus canus)

Common Gull (Larus canus)

(also known as the Mew Gull in North America)

The Common Gull is a medium-sized gull found across northern Eurasia and parts of North America. Despite its name, it is not always the most abundant gull in some areas, but it is widespread and familiar across coastal and inland habitats. Compared to many other gulls, it has a gentle appearance, clean plumage, and a distinctive call.

🐦 Identification

• Length: 40–46 cm
• Wingspan: 110–130 cm
• Weight: 300–500 g

Appearance:

• Adult (breeding plumage):
  • Clean white head, neck, and underparts
  • Pale grey upperwings and back
  • Black wingtips with small white “mirrors” (spots)
  • Yellowish-green bill with no markings
  • Yellowish-green legs
  • Dark eyes with a gentle expression
• Non-breeding (winter) plumage:
  • Fine grey-brown streaking on head and neck
  • Otherwise similar to breeding plumage
• Juveniles and first-winter birds:
  • Mottled brown plumage with a darker tail band
  • Gradually molt into adult plumage over 2–3 years

It is smaller and more delicate-looking than the Herring Gull, with a softer face and proportionally shorter bill.

🌿 Habitat

• Breeding habitat:
  • Inland lakes, rivers, marshes, moorlands, bogs, and coastal cliffs
  • Nests on the ground, often in grassy or shrubby areas near water
• Winter habitat:
  • Coastal areas, estuaries, beaches, harbors, farmland, urban parks, and rubbish dumps

The Common Gull is highly adaptable and often ventures inland during winter.

🍽️ Diet

Omnivorous and opportunistic feeder:

• Invertebrates: insects, earthworms, mollusks
• Small fish and aquatic animals
• Carrion
• Bird eggs and chicks (occasionally)
• Plant matter: seeds, berries, grains
• Scavenges at rubbish dumps, harbors, and fishing boats

It often feeds in fields, especially after rainfall when worms come to the surface.

🔁 Behavior & Life Cycle

Breeding:

• Breeds in loose colonies or small groups
• Nest: a shallow scrape lined with grass and vegetation
• Clutch: 2–3 eggs
• Incubation: ~24–26 days
• Both parents care for chicks

Social behavior:

• Often forms large flocks, especially outside the breeding season
• Less aggressive than many larger gull species

Vocalizations:

• Characteristic call: high-pitched, mewing “kiyeeeh” — softer and less harsh than calls of larger gulls
• The “mew” call gives the species its North American name: Mew Gull

🌍 Distribution

• Europe: Scandinavia, Baltic states, much of northern and central Europe
• Asia: across Russia into parts of Siberia
• North America: Alaska and parts of western Canada (subspecies Larus canus brachyrhynchus)

In some regions, it is migratory, moving south in winter.

🧬 Interesting Facts

• The name “Common Gull” was mistakenly given because early naturalists thought it was the most abundant species along the English coast — but it was actually the Black-headed Gull.
• It often nests inland, away from other large gull colonies.
• Common Gulls can live for decades — some individuals recorded living over 30 years.
• It is a graceful flyer, often seen gliding effortlessly on wind currents.

🛡️ Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern
• Global population stable, but locally vulnerable to:
  • Pollution
  • Habitat loss
  • Disturbance at breeding sites

Conservation measures include protecting wetlands, coastal areas, and traditional nesting habitats.

The Common Gull (Larus canus) is a versatile and graceful gull, equally at home along the coasts or far inland. Its clean plumage, calm behavior, and gentle “mewing” calls make it one of the more approachable and charming members of the gull family.