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Home/Species/ Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Ord, 1815

Ring-billed Gull

G5Secure Found in 84 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100423
Element CodeABNNM03100
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyLaridae
GenusLarus
Other Common Names
Gaivota-de-Bico-Manchado (PT) Gaviota Pico Anillado (ES) Goéland à bec cerclé (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-11-27
Edition Date1988-04-21
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: Washington to Manitoba, south to northeastern California, Colorado, South Dakota; north-central Ontario to Newfoundland, south to eastern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northern New England and New Brunswick. Nonbreeders occur in summer north to central Alaska, southern Yukon, southern Mackenzie, and southeastern Keewatin, and south through wintering range. NON-BREEDING: coast from southern British Columbia to southern Mexico, rarely south to Costa Rica and Panama; southeastern Canada to Gulf coast, Bahamas, and Greater Antilles; interior from Great Lakes to central Mexico; frequently in low numbers in Hawaii. See Spendelow and Patton (1988) for information on distribution and abundance in coastal U.S., including the Great Lakes region.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Seacoasts, bays, estuaries, rivers, lakes, ponds, irrigated fields and plowed lands, cities, dumps. Nests rocky, sandy, and grassy islets or isolated shores, occasionally on marshy lands, often with other water birds; mainly at inland lakes. Nests usually placed in low vegetation. See Spendelow and Patton (1988) for additional information.

Ecology

Fox predation may result in reproductive failure of local breeding colonies (Southern et al. 1985). May prevent terns from nesting by usurping habitat. Breeding individuals foraged an average of 11 km from colony (Baird 1977).

Reproduction

Eggs are laid in May-June. Clutch size usually is 3. Incubation, by both sexes, lasts about 21 days. Young are tended by both parents, fed until able to fly. Usually attains adult plumage in 3 years. May form female-female pairs or polygynous trios.
Terrestrial Habitats
Sand/duneCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchardUrban/edificarian
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
Yukon TerritoryS1MYes
QuebecS5BYes
NunavutS2BYes
ManitobaS5BYes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
AlbertaS4BYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
LabradorS3B,SUMYes
Prince Edward IslandS1B,S5MYes
Nova ScotiaSUB,S5NYes
British ColumbiaS4BYes
OntarioS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4B,SUMYes
New BrunswickS2B,S4N,S5MYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaS4BYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
OregonS5Yes
MissouriSNRNYes
MaineS2B,S5NYes
KansasS4NYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
LouisianaS5NYes
MassachusettsS1B,S5NYes
MontanaS5BYes
Navajo NationS3NYes
North CarolinaS5NYes
ArkansasS4NYes
New MexicoS5NYes
Rhode IslandSNAYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
TexasS5Yes
IndianaSNAYes
HawaiiSNAYes
West VirginiaS4NYes
MarylandS5NYes
IllinoisS2Yes
UtahS4NYes
New JerseySNR,S5NYes
OhioS3Yes
AlabamaS5NYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
DelawareSNAYes
IowaS5NYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
WyomingS2Yes
ArizonaS5NYes
New YorkS4Yes
NevadaS5BYes
New HampshireSNAYes
TennesseeS5NYes
MichiganS5Yes
MississippiS4NYes
FloridaSNRNYes
ColoradoSHBYes
CaliforniaSNRB,SNRNYes
IdahoS3B,S5NYes
KentuckyS5NYes
South DakotaS4B,S4NYes
VirginiaSNRNYes
AlaskaS3NYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
WashingtonS5B,S5NYes
WisconsinS4BYes
VermontS1B,S5NYes
Roadless Areas (84)
Alaska (4)
AreaForestAcres
GravinaTongass National Forest37,381
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
Arizona (4)
AreaForestAcres
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Horse MesaTonto National Forest9,146
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
California (11)
AreaForestAcres
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Mt. Shasta BShasta-Trinity National Forest2,809
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Idaho (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
Montana (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Big LogHelena National Forest8,954
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Devils TowerHelena National Forest7,144
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
HolterHelena National Forest1,965
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
LionheadGallatin National Forest33,549
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
Nevada (4)
AreaForestAcres
Antelope - West 1Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8,642
Four MileHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest24,093
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
WildhorseHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,204
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Oregon (11)
AreaForestAcres
BuckhornWallowa-Whitman National Forest17,180
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
Snake RiverWallowa-Whitman National Forest31,229
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
CornplanterAllegheny National Forest2,929
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (10)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
Hilgard MountainFishlake National Forest28,389
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Washington (5)
AreaForestAcres
EntiatWenatchee National Forest72,617
Nason RidgeWenatchee National Forest19,329
Rock CreekWenatchee National Forest32,239
Slide RidgeWenatchee National Forest11,430
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Wyoming (8)
AreaForestAcres
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
Sheep MountainMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest17,626
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (36)
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  3. Baird, P. 1976. Comparative ecology of California and Ring-billed Gulls (<i>Larus californicus</i> and <i>L. delawarensis</i>.)Ph.D. dissertation, University of Montana, Missoula.
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