| The American Herring Gull is, along with the Ring-billed Gull, one of the most abundant birds in tidal waters of the state in the cooler months. Unlike that species, hundreds of pairs now nest along the coast, and this breeding population has been expanding, to the detriment of other, smaller coastal nesting waterbirds. Where Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls nest, terns and Black Skimmers avoid these islands, as the gulls at times feed on eggs and chicks of these species, as well as eggs and chicks of various shorebirds, such as Piping and Wilson's plovers. Herring Gulls also winter on inland lakes, and are a common sight at landfills, with Ring-billed Gulls, though the latter species greatly outnumbers the Herring Gull at inland sites. Herring Gulls feed in most coastal and tidewater habitats, from offshore to the coastal zone, such as at tidal flats, estuaries, landfills, fish houses, and many other places. Unlike the Ring-billed, relatively few Herring Gulls feed in plowed fields and at shopping centers. Thousands roost on sand flats, and rare gull species tend to occur mixed with Herring Gulls, especially at Cape Hatteras Point.
In summer 2025, the American Ornithological Society split off the North American taxon from the former widespread Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) of both North America and Eurasia; our form is now the American Herring Gull (L. smithsonianus). |