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Little Gull

Larus minutusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Codes: Common Name: LIGU Scientific Name: LARMIN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176840
Least Concern
 
Little Gull_2
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Little Gull Variations

Little Gull
1st Winter
Little Gull
Little Gull
Male
Little Gull

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Attracting Clingers

Overview

Little Gull: The smallest of all gulls, with pale gray upperparts and white nape, neck, breast, belly, and tail. Hood is black and extends onto upper neck. Underwings are dark. Bill is dark red with black tip. Legs and feet are red-orange. Strong direct flight with deep wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Little Gull: Breeds in central Europe east to southern Siberia. In recent years, breeds locally in Ontario and Wisconsin; winters regularly in small numbers in eastern North America, especially along coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey and on Great Lakes. Preferred habitats include estuaries, lakes, and coasts.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk"

Interesting Facts

 The first record of the Little Gull in North America was in 1819, but the first nest was not discovered until 1962. 

 In North America it is most frequently observed during winter and on migration in groups of one to three, usually associated with larger flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls.

 It is the only gull that breeds both in the Caribbean and in the North Atlantic Ocean.

 A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

Splitbar
Range Map for Little Gull

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Family Gull (Laridae)_blue
Species Larus minutus
Length10 - 11 Inches
Wingspan30 Inches

Little Gull

Little Gull: The smallest of all gulls, with pale gray upperparts and white nape, neck, breast, belly, and tail. Hood is black and extends onto upper neck. Underwings are dark. Bill is dark red with black tip. Legs and feet are red-orange. Strong direct flight with deep wing beats.

● Song: "kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Little Gull: Feeds on small fish, worms, insects, and crustaceans. Picks food off the water surface; also catches insects in the air.

● Breeding & nesting: Little Gull: One to five yellow or green eggs marked with gray and red brown are laid in a ground nest lined with grass and leaves built among marsh vegetation. Incubation ranges from 23 to 25 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Little Gull: Bonaparte's and Black-headed gulls have white wedges on upperwings and black primary tips visible in flight or at rest.

Flight Pattern

Bounding flight with several rapid wing beats.
Little Gull Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: Little Gull: Breeds in central Europe east to southern Siberia. In recent years, breeds locally in Ontario and Wisconsin; winters regularly in small numbers in eastern North America, especially along coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey and on Great Lakes. Preferred habitats include estuaries, lakes, and coasts.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationCommon but local
MigrationMigratory
Weight4.2 Ounces
Gull-like BodyX
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX