Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Introduction

A little larger than Common Gull, the Ring-billed Gull is a scarce visitor to the UK from North America.

Ring-billed Gull was added to the British List in 1973, when one was seen on Blackpill Beach, Swansea on 14 March. Many more Ring-billed Gulls have been seen since then and, although still a scarce visitor to Britain, they can turn up in any month of the year.

Ireland and the western half of the Britain hold the lion's share of records, though a decline in the North American breeding population has seen a decline in new arrivals to our shores.

Key Stats

Status

Rare

Weight

527.5g

Seasonality

<1%

BTO Records

17k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

% expansion

No data

No current data

124.3% expansion

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Glamorgan, 1973

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

% occupied in breeding season

0.03%

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

2.9%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Winter Distribution for Ring-billed Gull

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution for Ring-billed Gull

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or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

Distribution Change

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This vagrant has been recorded in several atlases so we have been able to map distribution changes. However, as a rarity these may not show a consistent pattern of change.

Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and indicate by how much occupied areas have expanded or contracted over recent decades.

% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11)

124.3 %

Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Winter Distribution change for Ring-billed Gull

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution change for Ring-billed Gull

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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Ring-billed Gull is a rare vagrant, usually recorded in winter and often involving birds returning to the same area in consecutive winters.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — 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 Ring-billed Gull movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Ring-billed Gull, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Ring-billed Gull

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Scientific name: Larus delawarensis
Authority: Ord, 1815

BTO 2-letter code: IN
BTO 5-letter code: RIBGU
Euring code number: 5890

Alternate species names

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Catalan: gavina de Delaware
Czech: racek kroužkozobý
Danish: Ringnæbbet Måge
Dutch: Ringsnavelmeeuw
Estonian: vöötnokk-kajakas
Finnish: rengasnokkalokki
French: Goéland à bec cerclé

German: Ringschnabelmöwe
Hungarian: gyuruscsoru sirály
Icelandic: Hringmáfur
Irish: Faoileán Bandghobach
Italian: Gavina americana
Latvian: gredzenknabja kaija
Lithuanian: žieduotasnapis kiras
Norwegian: Ringnebbmåke

Polish: mewa delawarska
Portuguese: gaivota-de-bico-riscado
Slovak: cajka obrúckozobá
Slovenian: progastokljuni galeb
Spanish: Gaviota de Delaware
Swedish: ringnäbbad mås
Welsh: Gwylan Fodrwybig

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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