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Laridae - gulls, terns

Ring-billed gullThere are around 98 species in this family of seabirds. They are found near and on shorelines all over the world.

Some species are pelagic and, except for during breeding season, spend all their time on the open ocean.

Birds in this family are usually gray or white, often with black or gray markings. They have short legs, webbed feet, and short bills.

Most are omnivores, but a large part of their diet is made up of fish and aquatic invertebrates.


 

World Status Key
Least ConcernLeast Concern Near ThreatenedNear Threatened VulnerableVulnerable EndangeredEndangered Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered extinct in the wildExtinct in the Wild extinctExtinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in US Threatened in New Hampshire Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in US Endangered in NH Endangered in NH breeds in nh Breeds in NH Introduced Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species

 

 North/Central American Species

Arctic Tern - Sterna paradisaea Least Concern Threatened in New Hampshire breeds in nh
Black Tern - Chlidonias niger Least Concern
Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus Least Concern
Black-legged Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla Least Concern
Bonaparte's Gull - - Larus philadelphia Least Concern
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia Least Concern
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo Least Concern Endangered in NH breeds in nh
Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri Least Concern
Glaucous Gull - Larus hyperboreus Least Concern
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus Least Concern breeds in nh
American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus Least Concern breeds in nh
Iceland Gull - Larus glaucoides Least Concern
Laughing Gull - - Larus atricilla Least Concern breeds in nh
Least Tern - - Sternula antillarum Least Concern Endangered in US Endangered in NH breeds in nh
Little Gull - Hydrocoloeus minutus Least Concern
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis Least Concern
Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii Least Concern Endangered in US Endangered in NH breeds in nh
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus Least Concern
  Elegant Tern - Sterna elegans Near Threatened
Franklin's Gull - Larus pipixcan Least Concern
Glaucous-winged Gull - Larus glaucescens Least Concern
Grey Gull - Larus modestus Least Concern
Grey-backed Tern - Sterna lunata Least Concern
Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica Least Concern
Heermann's Gull - Larus heermanni Near Threatened
Indian Skimmer - Rynchops albicollis Vulnerable
Ivory Gull - Pagophila eburnea Near Threatened
Kelp Gull - Larus dominicanus Least Concern
Large-billed Tern - Phaetusa simplex Least Concern
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus Least Concern
Little Gull - Hydrocoloeus minutus Least Concern
Mew Gull - Larus canus Least Concern
Red-legged Kittiwake - Rissa brevirostris Vulnerable
Ross's Gull - Rhodostethia rosea Least Concern
Sabine's Gull - Xema sabini Least Concern
Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis Least Concern
Slaty-backed Gull -  Larus schistisagus Least Concern
Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata Least Concern
South American Tern - Sterna hirundinacea Least Concern
Swallow-tailed Gull - Creagrus furcatus Least Concern
Thayer's Gull - Larus thayeri Least Concern
Western -  Gull - Larus occidentalis Least Concern
White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus Least Concern
Yellow-billed Tern - Sterna superciliaris Least Concern
Yellow-footed Gull - Larus livens Least Concern

 North/Central American Species

 
Aleutian Tern - Sterna aleutica Least Concern
Black Noddy -  Anous minutus Least Concern
Black Skimmer - Rynchops niger Least Concern
Blue Noddy - Procelsterna cerulea Least Concern
Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus Least Concern
Brown Noddy - Anous stolidus Least Concern
California Gull - Larus californicus Least Concern
Common White Tern - Gygis alba Least Concern
 

Species Around the World

Africa Africa Asia Asia Australia Australia/Oceania Europe Europe North America North/Central America South America South America New Hampshire Species NH Species

African Skimmer - Rynchops flavirostris Near Threatened Africa
Aleutian Tern - Sterna aleutica Least Concern Asia North America
Andean Gull - Larus serranus Least Concern South America
Antarctic Tern - Sterna vittata Least Concern Africa Antarctica Australia South America
Arctic Tern-Sterna paradisaea Least Concern Threatened in US Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Audouin's Gull - Larus audouinii Near Threatened Africa Asia Europe
Band-tailed Gull - Larus belcheri Least Concern South America
Black Noddy -  Anous minutus Least Concern Africa Asia Australia North America South America
Black Skimmer - Rynchops niger Least Concern North America South America
Black Tern - Chlidonias niger Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species
Black-bellied Tern - Sterna acuticauda Endangered Asia
Black-billed Gull - Larus bulleri Endangered Australia
Black-fronted Tern - Sterna albostriata Endangered Australia
Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species
Black-legged Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America New Hampshire Species
Black-naped Tern - Sterna sumatrana Least Concern Africa Asia Australia
Black-tailed Gull - Larus crassirostris Least Concern Asia
Blue Noddy - Procelsterna cerulea Least Concern Australia North America South America
Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia Least Concern North America South America New Hampshire Species
Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus Least Concern Africa Asia Australia North America South America
Brown Noddy - Anous stolidus Least Concern Africa Africa Asia Australia North America South America
Brown-headed Gull - Larus brunnicephalus Least Concern Asia
Brown-hooded Gull - Larus maculipennis Least Concern South America
California Gull - Larus californicus Least Concern North America
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans Least Concern Africa Asia Europe
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species
Chinese Crested Tern - Sterna bernsteini Critically Endangered Asia
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo Least Concern Endangered in NH Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Common White Tern - Gygis alba Least Concern Africa Asia Australia North America South America
Damara Tern - Sterna balaenarum Near Threatened Africa
Dolphin Gull - Leucophaeus scoresbii Least Concern South America
Elegant Tern - Sterna elegans Near Threatened North America South America
Fairy Tern - Sterna nereis Vulnerable Australia
Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri Least Concern North America New Hampshire Species
Franklin's Gull - Larus pipixcan Least Concern North America South America
Glaucous Gull - Larus hyperboreus Least Concern Asia Europe North America New Hampshire Species
Glaucous-winged Gull - Larus glaucescens Least Concern Asia North America
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus Least Concern Asia Europe North America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Great Crested Tern - Sterna bergii Least Concern Africa Asia Australia
Grey Gull - Larus modestus Least Concern North America South America
Grey-backed Tern - Sterna lunata Least Concern Asia Australia North America
Grey-headed Gull - Larus cirrocephalus Least Concern Africa South America
Gull - billed Tern - Sterna nilotica Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Heermann's Gull - Larus heermanni Near Threatened North America
American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Iceland Gull - Larus glaucoides Least Concern Europe North America New Hampshire Species
Inca Tern - Larosterna inca Near Threatened South America
Indian Skimmer - Rynchops albicollis Vulnerable Asia

 

Ivory Gull - Pagophila eburnea Near Threatened Asia Europe North America
Kelp Gull - Larus dominicanus Least Concern Africa Antarctica Australia North America South America
Kerguelen Tern - Sterna virgata Near Threatened Africa
King Gull - Larus hartlaubii Least Concern Africa
Large-billed Tern - Phaetusa simplex Least Concern North America South America
Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla Least Concern North America South America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Lava Gull - Larus fuliginosus Vulnerable South America
Least Tern - Sternula antillarum Least Concern Endangered in US Endangered in NH North America South America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America South America
Lesser Crested Tern - Sterna bengalensis Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe
Lesser Noddy - Anous tenuirostris Least Concern Africa Asia Australia
Little Gull - Hydrocoloeus minutus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species
Little Tern - Sterna albifrons Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe
Little White Tern - Gygis microrhyncha Least Concern Australia
Mediterranean Gull - Larus melanocephalus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe
Mew Gull - Larus canus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America
Olrog's Gull - Larus atlanticus Vulnerable South America
Pacific Gull - Larus pacificus Least Concern Australia
Pallas's Gull - Larus ichthyaetus Least Concern Africa Asia Europe
Peruvian Tern - Sterna lorata Endangered South America
Red-billed Gull - Larus scopulinus Least Concern Australia
Red-legged Kittiwake - Rissa brevirostris Vulnerable Asia North America
Relict Gull - Larus relictus Vulnerable Asia
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis Least Concern North America South America New Hampshire Species
River Tern - Sterna aurantia Near Threatened Asia
Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii Endangered in US Endangered in NH Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America New Hampshire Species breeds in nh
Ross's Gull - Rhodostethia rosea Least Concern Asia Europe North America
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus Least Concern Africa North America South America New Hampshire Species
Sabine's Gull - Xema sabini Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America South America
Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis Least Concern Africa Asia Europe North America South America
Saunders's Gull - Larus saundersi Vulnerable Asia
Saunders's Tern - Sterna saundersi Least Concern Asia
Silver Gull - Larus novaehollandiae Least Concern Australia
Slaty-backed Gull -  Larus schistisagus Least Concern Asia North America
Slender-billed Gull - Larus genei Least Concern Africa Asia Europe
Snowy-crowned Tern - Sterna trudeaui Least Concern South America
Sooty Gull - Larus hemprichii Least Concern Africa Asia
Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata Least Concern Africa Asia Australia North America South America
South American Tern - Sterna hirundinacea Least Concern South America
Swallow-tailed Gull - Creagrus furcatus Least Concern North America South America
Thayer's Gull - Larus thayeri Least Concern Europe North America
Western -  Gull - Larus occidentalis Least Concern North America
Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe
White-cheeked Tern - Sterna repressa Least Concern Africa Asia
White-eyed Gull - Larus leucophthalmus Near Threatened Africa Asia
White-fronted Tern - Sterna striata Least Concern Australia
White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America
Yellow-billed Tern - Sterna superciliaris Least Concern North America South America
Yellow-footed Gull - Larus livens Least Concern North America
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis Least Concern Africa Asia Europe

Additional Information

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