Common Tern (sexes similar) - approx. 38 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Sterna
Species: Hirundo
Updated November 5 2015
Herring Gull (sexes similar) - approx. 61 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Argentatus
4 year Gull (4 years required to reach adult plumage) -
Similar to Thayer's Gull (L. thayeri) which was formerly
considered a sub-species of the Herring Gull
Similar to Thayer's Gull (L. thayeri) which was formerly
considered a sub-species of the Herring Gull
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Delawarensis
3 year Gull (3 years required to reach adult plumage)
Updated March 19 2018
Ring-billed Gull (1st year) - approx. 48 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Delawarensis
3 year Gull (3 years required to reach adult plumage)
Updated March 19 2018
Gulls & Terns
Page Last Updated: March 19 2018
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More Common Terns
More Herring Gulls
More Ring-billed Gulls
More Ring-billed Gulls
Updated January 10 2016
Great Black-backed Gull (sexes similar - winter plumage)
- approx. 75 cm
- approx. 75 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Marinus
4 year Gull - largest North American Gull - winter adults
have slight brownish streaking on back of head
have slight brownish streaking on back of head
9 species
Common Terns with juveniles (sexes similar) - approx.
38 cm
38 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Sterna
Species: Hirundo
These nesting sites are man-made platforms in Lake
Ontario - long, narrow structures are used for the nests to
discourage predators
Ontario - long, narrow structures are used for the nests to
discourage predators
Updated November 5 2015
More Common Terns
Arctic Tern bill usually completely red - Caspian Tern larger
with stouter red bill
with stouter red bill
Iceland Gull (sexes similar - 1st year?) - approx. 61 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Glaucoides
3 or 4 year Gull - Canadian breeding subspecies
(Kumlien's) breeds in Northern Quebec and on Baffin
Island - rare winter visitor to Toronto
(Kumlien's) breeds in Northern Quebec and on Baffin
Island - rare winter visitor to Toronto
Updated February 10 2017
More Iceland Gulls
Updated February 13 2011
More Great Black-backed Gulls
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Audio - updated June 15 2014
Audio - updated January 19 2010
Herring Gull (2nd year?) - wingspan approx. 1.4 m
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Argentatus
More Herring Gulls
Updated January 10 2016
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
4 year Gull (4 years required to reach adult plumage) -
Similar to Thayer's Gull (L. thayeri) which was formerly
considered a sub-species of the Herring Gull
Similar to Thayer's Gull (L. thayeri) which was formerly
considered a sub-species of the Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull (1st year) - approx. 48 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Delawarensis
3 year Gull (3 years required to reach adult plumage)
Updated March 19 2018
More Ring-billed Gulls
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Sterna
Species: Caspia
Caspian Tern has black feet and a stouter bill compared
to the Common Tern (see above)
to the Common Tern (see above)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Audio - updated August 8 2013
Updated January 23 2014
More Caspian Terns
Common Tern (sexes similar) - approx. 38 cm - Leslie Spit - June 2011
Herring Gull (sexes similar) - approx. 61 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - May 2007
Ring-billed Gull (sexes similar) - approx. 48 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - May 2007
Ring-billed Gull (1st year) - approx. 48 cm - Lynde Shores Conservation Area (Whitby) - September 2007
Great Black-backed Gull (sexes similar - winter plumage) - approx. 75 cm - Marie Curtis Park - November 2008
Common Terns with juveniles (sexes similar) - approx. 38 cm - Leslie Spit - June 2009
Herring Gull (2nd year?) - wingspan approx. 1.4 m - Leslie Spit - September 2011
Ring-billed Gull (1st year) - approx. 48 cm - Bluffers Park - November 2011
Caspian Tern (sexes similar) - approx. 50 cm - Leslie Spit - May 2013
Iceland Gull (sexes similar - adult) - approx. 61 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Glaucoides
3 or 4 year Gull - adult has pale gray wing tips and yellow
spot on lower mandible - Canadian breeding subspecies
(Kumlien's) breeds in Northern Quebec and on Baffin
Island - rare winter visitor to Toronto
spot on lower mandible - Canadian breeding subspecies
(Kumlien's) breeds in Northern Quebec and on Baffin
Island - rare winter visitor to Toronto
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Iceland Gull (sexes similar - adult) - approx. 61 cm - Ashbridge's Bay - February 2015
Updated February 10 2017
More Iceland Gulls
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Thayeri
4 year Gull - adult has darker wing tips than Iceland Gull
(see above)
(see above)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Thayer's Gull (sexes similar - adult) - approx. 60 cm - Ashbridge's Bay - February 2015
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Chroicocephalus (formerly Larus)
Species: Philadelphia
Updated September 26 2014
More Bonaparte's Gulls
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
One of the smaller Gulls - usually nests in trees rather than
on the ground like most Gulls
on the ground like most Gulls
Photograph by Ed McAskill
Bonaparte's Gull (sexes similar) - approx. 33 cm - Rouge Park - June 2013
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Hyperboreus
4 year Gull - 2nd and 3rd year birds increasingly pale with
less mottling and less black in bill tip - possibly Iceland Gull
(see above)
less mottling and less black in bill tip - possibly Iceland Gull
(see above)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Updated January 10 2016
More Glaucous Gulls
Glaucous Gull (juvenile - 1st year?) - approx. 70 cm - Marie Curtis Park - January 2016
Herring Gull (1st year) - approx. 61 cm
Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Relatives)
Genus: Larus
Species: Argentatus
4 year Gull (4 years required to reach adult plumage) - bill of
1st year usually mostly black - Similar to Thayer's Gull (L.
thayeri) which was formerly considered a sub-species of
the Herring Gull
1st year usually mostly black - Similar to Thayer's Gull (L.
thayeri) which was formerly considered a sub-species of
the Herring Gull
More Herring Gulls
Updated January 10 2016
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Herring Gull (1st year) - approx. 61 cm - Thorncliffe Park - September 2015
Iceland Gull (sexes similar - 1st year?) - approx. 61 cm - Ashbridge's Bay - February 2017