European herring gull: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the European herring gull lives – recorded in 36 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Larus argentatus
Group	Waders, gulls, terns & auks
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	36 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe, North America
Class	Bird
Order	Charadriiformes
Family	Laridae

Where does the European herring gull live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the European herring gull in 36 countries and territories across Asia, Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Africa, South America, Hefei.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the European herring gull endangered?

The European herring gull’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the European herring gull?

The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a bird in the order Charadriiformes and the family Laridae, genus Larus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the European herring gull

The European herring gull or simply herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. It breeds throughout the northern and western coasts of Europe. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate farther south in winter, but many are permanent residents, such as in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article European herring gull (revision 1380665053), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q28236 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).