The Common Gull is a medium-sized gull, with a dark grey back and upperwings and yellowish-green bill and legs.
This species breeds in the north and west of both Britain and Ireland with a preference for upland areas. The highest densities are found in the eastern half of Scotland, whereas in Ireland it is predominantly a coastal bird.
Our breeding population is swelled in winter by the autumn arrival of a large influx from the Continent. Individuals become very widely distributed across the country – though avoiding the uplands – and are most abundant down the eastern half of Britain at this time.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Common Gull
Love them or hate them, you can't (or shouldn't) ignore gulls. Build up your gull ID skills by learning to recognise two ideal reference species from this versatile and varied family: Common Gull and Herring Gull.
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Common Gull, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Flight call
Alarm call
Call
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The coastal-nesting population increased by 70% between the 1969–70 Census and Seabird 2000 (1998–2002). However, more than half of the population counted by Seabird 2000 were breeding inland. The inland breeding colonies have not been counted consistently and hence the overall trend for this species is highly uncertain. The counts made since Seabird 2000 suggest that substantial declines may have occurred at both coastal and inland colonies, although coverage is incomplete and the extent of the decline will not be known until the results of the recent Seabirds Count (2015–2021) are available (JNCC 2022).
Each autumn and winter a large influx of continental Common Gulls supplements local breeders, resulting in a very wide winter distribution in Britain, with birds being absent only from upland areas; in Ireland they are mostly coastal. Breeding Common Gulls are found mostly in the north and west of both Scotland and Ireland. However, in Scotland, the highest densities are found on the eastern half of the country from Angus to the Moray Firth, Caithness and the Northern Isles as well as in many Highland straths and glens.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
An overview of year-round movements for the whole of Europe can be seen on the EuroBirdPortal viewer.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Encountered in:
Winter (Nov-Feb); Spring (Mar-Apr); Summer (May-Jul); Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Common Gull, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
The causes of change in the Common Gull population are not known. Some studies have shown that American Mink Neovison vison can have a substantial negative effect at a local level and can cause colony abandonment (Craik 1997), but it is unclear whether predation from Mink and other predators may have driven wider population declines.
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
COMGU 
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