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Species

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

European herring gulls are large gull found along the coasts of Europe. In Norway they're found across the entire country, and many herring gulls inhabit our cities.

Despite seeming plentiful in urban areas, they are redlisted and considered a vulnerable species here in Norway, where their population has reduced with around 40% the past 3 generations. In the Oslo fjord, their numbers have halved since 2001.

28 photos

4 blogs

2 collections

Classification

  • Class: Aves (Birds)
  • Order: Charadriiformes (Shorebirds)
  • Family: Laridae (Gulls, terns, and skimmers)
  • Genus: Larus (Gulls)
  • Species: Larus argentatus (European Herring Gull)

Conservation status

Global: Least Concern (population decreasing)

Norway: Vulnerable

Photos

Adult european herring gull looking downwards, on the bottom right corner of the picture frame. Behind her is a bright blue sky.
Close up of the head of an adult herring gull, moulting into winter feathers, taken in profile. Her beak is rather short, and her head is rounded.
Portrait of a European Herring Gull, photographed from the front, while she's looking to the bottom left.
Portrait photo from the chest upwards of an adult European Herring Gull just moulting into winter plummage, with light brown stripes on the head. She's looking towards the camera, and around her right eye her feathers are standing upwards and have blood on them.
Portrait of an adult european herring gull, with a dark blue blurry background. The picture is taken in profile, with the gull looking down.
Portrait of an adult herring gull shouting towards the camera. The background is black and out of focus, whereas the gull is in fous. He's moulting from summer to winter plummage, and looking a bit bald on the head as a result.

All photos

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Appears in

Collections (2)

Gulliver & Josefine

10 pictures

2 blogs

Browse collection

Oslo Birds

26 pictures

4 blogs

Browse collection

All collections

Blogs (4)

Meet Gloria, one of our herring gull neighbors.

22. August 2024

  • Birdwatching

An evening with thousands of gulls in Hamningberg

12. August 2024

  • Birdwatching
  • Locations

What we know about "our" herring gull Josefine

1. August 2024

  • Birdwatching

Introduction to Gulliver and Josefine, our rooftop gulls

24. July 2024

  • Birdwatching

All blogs

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