Gulls, Terns & Skimmers - Laridés

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers are accomplished fliers and because they have webbed feet they are also very comfortable in the water. The species in this family vary in size but in almost all species, their underparts are white and their upperparts are gray or black with a white head or with a dark mask or hood. 

Gulls and terns are beach-lovers, most of which spend the bulk of their lives within sight of the land-water interface.  This tends to put them in persistent contact with humanity, but overall they succeed at coexisting with development.  Many gulls are opportunistic scavengers, a niche that presents seemingly endless growth opportunities in and around coastal communities of all sizes.  In many urban areas, the largest gatherings of gulls are often at garbage dumps, the paradise of modern scavenging. 

Did You Know ??

Seagulls are clever birds. They remember, learn, and even pass on behaviors like stamping their feet for imitating rainfall and tricking earthworms to come out of the ground to the surface.