North American field guide
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Identification
Field notes
48 cm (19") Abundant and widespread. Coasts, lakes, urban areas, fast-food restaurants, dumps, fields. Crow-sized gull. White head, underparts and tail; gray mantle; black wing tips with large white spots; yellow eyes; thin yellow bill with dark ring around it near tip; yellow legs.
Winter adults similar but brown spotting on head.
Similar Herring Gull is larger, less black on underside of wings, no bill ring and pinkish legs.
Song: squeals, croaks.
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
Ring Billed Gull
Credit: HBWGLBRing-billed Gull @ Leavitts Park 18 January 2009 0931
Credit: BuddhaBlessUsWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
Loading the rebuilt map…
Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Ring-billed Gull
1 ruleRule 1 10 criteria · confidence 9
- What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?
- Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- What colour was the BILL ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Short · Medium · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Gull-like, or a Seabird