Different species of gull and terns are found on every continent throughout the world, from the Americas to Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Arctic, Antarctic, and Australia. They are less likely to be found in the tropics, although there are some species that can be found on the Galapagos Islands.
There are over 100 different species of gulls, terns, skimmers, and kittiwakes that fall under the family Laridae. Some of these birds migrate, while some may move inland to lakes over the winter months.
There are no birds officially called seagulls, as they are in fact just different types of the more than 50 species of gulls or terns that mostly live near the sea and have become known collectively as seagulls.
Gulls are usually monogamous and stay with their partner for many years. Both parents defend the eggs and nest area by warning with threat displays and making loud screams.
The following is a list of commonly found gulls and terns in Arizona.
Gulls and Terns in Arizona in summer: Franklin’s Gull, Black Tern
Gulls and Terns in Arizona all year: Ring-billed Gull
Gulls and Terns during migration in Arizona: California Gull, Forster’s Tern, Bonaparte’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern
8 Gulls And Terns In Arizona
1. Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gulls are spotted in Arizona all year but they are most common from September to April. They are recorded in 2% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state.
Ring-billed Gulls are medium-sized gulls that are easily identified because of their short, yellow bills with a black ring around them near the tip.
Breeding adults are generally white all-over except for their pale gray backs and wings with black tips and white spots. Their eyes are yellow, outlined with orange. They have yellow legs and feet. Males and females are similar.
The major differences between breeding and non-breeding adults are the light brown streaks on the heads and necks of non-breeding adults.
Juvenile Ring-billed Gulls are covered in brown streaks all over.
- Larus delawarensis
- Length: 18 – 19 in (46 – 48 cm)
- Weight: 20.81 oz (590 g)
- Wingspan: 47 – 48 in (119 – 122 cm)
Ring-billed Gulls breed in Canada and northern and northwestern US states. They migrate for winter to southern US states, the Pacific Coast, and Mexico.
You can find Ring-billed Gulls among many human developments – urban, suburban and agricultural areas. They also inhabit coastal waters, beaches, lakes, ponds, streams, estuaries, and mudflats. They are frequent visitors to parking lots, landfills, shopping malls, and reservoirs where they tend to group in large numbers.
Ring-billed Gulls Calls:
Nests of Ring-billed Gulls are built by both parents using twigs, sticks, grasses, mosses, in a scrape on the ground. Nests are usually near water, and part of the colony. The female lays two to four eggs that both parents incubate between three to four weeks.
Fun Fact: Ring-billed Gulls are sometimes called “fast food gulls” because they often hang out near fast food restaurants and scavenge for food there.
2. California Gull
California Gulls are usually spotted in Arizona during migration in May and from August to December.
California Gulls are medium-sized gulls with slender bills, white bodies and heads, and gray wings with black tips.
During the winter the adults have brown mottling on their heads. Juveniles are mottled brown and take three years to turn white and gray.
- Larus californicus
- Length: 18.5-21.3 in (47-54 cm)
- Weight: 15.2-36.9 oz (430-1045 g)
- Wingspan: 51.2 in (130 cm)
California Gulls breed in central Canada and the West North Central US states, before migrating to the West Coast for winter.
You can find California Gulls along coastal areas in the winter and inland along rivers and lakes in the summer. As with most gulls, they eat anything they can from fish to flies or garbage. Also, eggs, small mammals, and fruit.
California Gull calls:
Nests of California Gulls are scrapes on the ground and filled with grass, feathers, and vegetation. They lay up to 4 eggs which take 3 to 4 weeks to hatch.
Fun Fact: California Gulls have a neat trick to catch the thousands of flies on the Great Basin shores. They run through them with their head down and beak open catching them with ease.
3. Forster’s Tern
Forster’s Terns are usually found in Arizona during migration, especially from August to September.
Forster’s Terns are often mistaken for Common Terns because they have the same coloring during the breeding season but have longer tails and a black eye ring during the non-breeding season.
Breeding adult Forster’s Terns have black caps, black-tipped orange bills, white underparts, pale gray upperparts, and red legs.
Non-breeding adult Forster’s Terns lose the black caps and instead, only a black eyepatch remains. The rest of their heads and their underparts are white and their bills are now totally black. Their wings appear silvery with a hint of black tips on their primaries.
Juvenile Forster’s Terns have brown and gray heads, backs, and wings. They have distinct black eyepatches and black bills. Their underparts are white and their legs are red.
- Sterna forsteri
- Length: 13.0 – 14.2 in (33 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 4.6 – 6.7 oz (130 – 190 g)
- Wingspan: 30.7 -31.5 in (78 – 80 cm)
Forster’s Terns breed in northern North America and spend winter in the south. Some remain all year in southern US states.
You can find Forster’s Terns in colonies of freshwater and saltwater marshes with open water and available floating vegetation during the breeding season. When they migrate, they are often in oceans, bays, and estuaries near the coast.
Forster’s Terns hunt for small fish from the air. They can dive into deep water, sometimes submerging their whole bodies. They may also wait for the tide to come in around mudflats so they have better access to the small fish, crustaceans, and frogs in shallow water. They also eat insects that they pick off from the water or capture while in flight.
Forster’s Tern calls:
Nests of Forster’s Terns may be on the ground near marshes, built on top of dense vegetation, or floating dead plants. Both male and female adults build the nests out of reeds and grasses and line them with softer material and shells. The female lays one to four eggs and both parents take turns in incubating them for a period of twenty-three to twenty-five days.
Fun Facts: Forster’s Terns are named after naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster.
Forster’s Terns aggressively defend their colonies when a predator is detected. This behavior also benefits other birds sharing their nesting sites and other birds may also join in defending against predators.
4. Franklin’s Gull
Franklin’s Gulls spend the breeding season in Arizona but they are most common in April and are spotted in 1% of checklists at this time.
Franklin’s Gulls are small gulls with black heads and a red bill. They have white crescents above and below their eye and a rosy tint to their underparts during the breeding season.
- Leucophaeus pipixcan
- Length: 12.6-14.2 in (32-36 cm)
- Weight: 8.1-10.6 oz (230-300 g)
- Wingspan: 33.5-37.4 in (85-95 cm)
Franklin’s Gulls breed in central Canada and western US states and migrate to the west coast of Central and South America.
You can find Franklin’s Gulls on inland freshwater prairie and marshes in the breeding season and coastal areas in the winter.
Franklin’s Gulls eat insects and other invertebrates all year, but in summer they also eat seeds and other vegetation and in winter they eat fish and crabs from the sea.
Franklin’s Gulls Calls:
Nests of Franklin’s Gulls are on floating vegetation that they add to as it starts to sink. They lay up to 4 eggs which take 3 – 4 weeks to hatch.
Fun Fact: Franklin’s Gulls form large colonies and in winter there may be more than a million birds. However, if disturbed these usually noisy birds fly up in silence.
5. Bonaparte’s Gull
Bonaparte’s Gulls are not very common in Arizona but they can have been spotted in the state during migration in April and November.
Bonaparte’s Gulls are one of the smallest species of gulls recognizable by their black hoods during the breeding season.
Their thin, short bills are also black and their black eyes have white eye crescents. Their bodies are white and their backs are gray. They have red-orange legs and feet. Their tails are white with a black tip.
Non-breeding adult Bonaparte’s Gulls do not have the black hood. Instead, they have a black smudge behind their eyes.
First winter Bonaparte’s Gulls are like non-breeding adults except that they have a black bar across their wings. Juveniles are a combination of brown and gray initally.
- Chroicocephalus philadelphia
- Length: 12 – 14 in (30 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 8.11 oz (230 g)
- Wingspan: 33 – 36 in (84 – 91 cm)
Bonaparte’s Gulls breed mainly in Canada and spend winter in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast.
You can find Bonaparte’s Gulls in boreal forests near lakes and marshes during the breeding season. They prefer open areas with trees near ponds, islands, bogs, and marshes. In the winter, you can find them along the coasts and practically any water environment where water is not frozen.
Bonaparte’s Gulls are opportunistic feeders that grab small fish, krill, insect larvae, marine worms, small crabs, and small snails whenever and wherever they can. During the summer, they eat flying ants, termites, bees, and other aerial insects that abound in the forests.
Bonaparte’s Gull Calls:
Nests of Bonaparte’s Gulls are made of twigs, bark, and branches, lined with lichen and moss, and are located in conifer trees as high as 40 feet. Some nests are built near the ground, on top of rushes, and made of plant vegetation. The female lays two to three eggs and both parents incubate them for about three weeks.
Fun Fact: Bonaparte’s Gulls are affectionately known as ‘Bonies’ by bird watchers.
6. Black Tern
Black Terns breed in Arizona from May to October but they are best spotted from August to September.
Black Terns are an exception to the white coloring of most seabirds.
Breeding adult Black Terns have distinct black heads and bodies with dark gray backs and wings. Their bills are long, slender, slightly downward curved, and also black.
Nonbreeding adults have white faces, black caps and ear patches, white underparts, and brown-gray tails. Juveniles are similar but with brown hues and some barring instead of just dark gray and black on their backs. Their wings are pale gray.
Molting adults have dark gray backs and wings and a combination of black and white on their heads and underparts.
- Chlidonias niger
- Length: 9.1 – 14.2 in (23 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 1.8 – 2.1 oz (50 – 60 g)
- Wingspan: 22.4 – 23. 6 in (57 – 60 cm)
Black Terns breed in North America, Europe, and Central Asia and migrate to Central America or west Africa for winter.
You can find Black Terns colonies nesting in large freshwater marshes and edges of lakes. They are also found in smaller marshes, wet meadows, rice fields, and river islands. During the non-breeding season, they are around larger lakes, coastal waters, estuaries, and flooded farm fields near the ocean.
Black Terns search for food from the air and then swoop down and capture them with their bills. They often capture small fish this way. They sometimes chase flying insects like grasshoppers, locusts, and flies, too.
Black Tern calls:
Nests of Black Terns are located away from the shore, usually where the sites are protected from wind and waves. Floating platforms on marsh vegetation with sufficient cover from cattails are ideal. Both males and females construct the nests from dead vegetation and the female lays two to four eggs that are incubated for twenty-one to twenty-two days.
Fun Fact: Black Terns are known to hybridize with White-winged Black Terns and their hybrids are shown to exhibit a combination of both species.
7. Caspian Tern
Caspian Terns are not commonly spotted in Arizona but there have been sightings in the state during migration.
Caspian Terns are the largest terns in the world.
Breeding adult Caspian Terns are easily recognizable because of their black hoods, and thick, bright red bills (sometimes with a dark tip).
They have pale gray backs and wings, white underparts, and black legs. The black hoods can sometimes be raised into short crests.
Nonbreeding adult Caspian Terns are similar but with a grayish crown.
Juveniles also don’t have the black crest. They have a streaky brown-black crown instead. Also, they have brownish, scaled markings on their backs and wings. Their underparts are still white.
- Hydroprogne caspia
- Length: 18.5 – 21.3 in (47 – 54 cm)
- Weight: 18.7 – 27.6 oz (530 – 782 g)
- Wingspan: 49.6 – 50.4 in (126 – 128 cm)
Caspian Terns are found around the world. Those that breed inland in North America, but can be found all year along the southern Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, and Central America.
You can find Caspian Terns flocking together along seacoasts, ocean coasts, and barrier islands. During migration, it’s common to see them in estuaries, salt marshes, and large inland lakes and rivers. Breeding and nesting sites are often shelly and sandy beaches with little or no vegetation to make it easy to detect predators.
Caspian Terns feed mostly on fish, hunting them over water and diving rapidly to capture them. They may totally submerge themselves but sometimes they can easily snatch the fish from the surface. They will also prey on crayfish, other birds’ eggs, mussels, and large insects and have been known to eat dead fish on beaches.
Caspian Tern calls:
Nests of Caspian Terns may be isolated or found in colonies together with other birds. Both adults build the nest together on open ground with sand, shells, pebbles, gravel, or dirt. Sometimes they also use floating mats of debris as a platform.
The female lays one to three eggs which she and the male incubate for twenty-five to twenty-eight days.
Fun Fact: As part of the courtship process, males capture fish and bring it back to feed to the female. If the female is receptive, she will accept the fish offering.
8. Common Tern
Common Terns are not often spotted in Arizona but you might spot some migrating across the state.
Common Terns are small to medium-sized seabirds considered one of the most widespread terns in North America. Breeding adults have distinct black caps and napes and narrow, pointed, orange bills.
They are gray and white and have orange legs. Their wings are dark-tipped and form a dark wedge on the upperside of the wingtips. Their tails are white and deeply forked.
Non-breeding adult Common Terns lose the front portion of their black caps and are left with white foreheads and partial grayish-black hindcrowns and their legs and bills turn black.
Juveniles are a pale version of non-breeding adults. They have a brownish-gray wash to their crowns and napes and some ginger patches on their foreheads that gradually turn white by autumn.
- Sterna hirundo
- Length: 13 – 16 in (33 – 41 cm)
- Weight: 5.15 oz (146 g)
- Wingspan: 30 – 31 in (76 – 79 cm)
Common Terns are found around the world. Those that breed in the northern hemisphere migrate to the south for winter. Some remain all year in the tropics and southern hemisphere.
You can find Common Terns close to the water (whether freshwater or saltwater) as long as it’s on any open flat habitat like beaches, firm dune areas, salt marshes, or islands during their breeding season. In winter, Common Terns occur anywhere that has access to fish.
Fish smaller than seven inches are the preferred prey of Common Terns. They will “plunge-dive” into the sea, ocean, or freshwater lakes and rivers to capture them. Normally, they will only stay submerged for a second just enough to catch the fish. When Common Terns have chicks to feed, they may opt to take larger prey and may add insects, worms, leeches, squids, shrimps, prawns, and mole crabs to their diet.
Common Tern Calls:
Nests of Common Terns are usually built by the breeding couple by making shallow depressions or “scrapes” on the ground lined with some seaweed, stones, or shells. They prefer areas that have sand, gravel, shells, or pebbles and are close to the water. Ideally, there should also be some low vegetation to act as cover for their young.
The female lays one to four eggs but there may be more when another female uses the same nest for her eggs. Incubation lasts between twenty-one to twenty-five days and is done by both parents.
Fun Facts: Common Terns can locate their nests in a large colony even when they’re buried or displaced.
In the 19th century, there was a huge decrease in the population of Common Terns due to fashion. Entire stuffed Common Terns were used to make hats in Europe and North America.
