Order Charadriiformes, Family Laridae - gulls

In Maine and on the adjacent ocean, 31 species in 15 genera have been reported. Click on a link below or scroll down for more information.

Family Laridae
   Rissa (1 species)
      Rissa tridactyla - Black-legged Kittiwake
   Pagophila (1 species)
      Pagophila eburnea - Ivory Gull
   Xema (1 species)
      Xema sabini - Sabine’s Gull
   Chroicocephalus (2 species)
      Chroicocephalus philadelphia - Bonoparte’s Gull
      Chroicocephalus ridibundus - Black-headed Gull
   Hydrocoloeus (1 species)
      Hydrocoloeus minutus - Little Gull
   Leucophaeus (2 species)
      Leucophaeus atricilla - Laughing Gull
      Leucophaeus pipixcan - Franklin’s Gull
   Larus (9 species)
      Larus canus - Common Gull
      Larus brachyrhynchus - Short-billed Gull
      Larus delawarensis - Ring-billed Gull
      Larus argentatus - European Herring Gull
      Larus glaucoides - Iceland Gull
      Larus fuscus - Lesser Black-backed Gull
      Larus schistisagus - Slaty-backed Gull
      Larus hyperboreus - Glaucous Gull
      Larus marinus - Great Black-backed Gull
   Onychoprion (2 species)
      Onychoprion fuscatus - Sooty Tern
      Onychoprion anaethetus - Bridled Tern
   Sternula (1 species)
      Sternula antillarum - Least Tern
   Gelochelidon (1 species)
      Gelochelidon nilotica - Gull-billed Tern
   Hydroprogne (1 species)
      Hydroprogne caspia - Caspian Tern
   Chlidonias (2 species)
      Chlidonias niger - Black Tern
      Chlidonias leucopterus - White-winged Tern
   Sterna (4 species)
      Sterna dougallii - Roseate Tern
      Sterna hirundo - Common Tern
      Sterna paradisaea - Arctic Tern
      Sterna forsteri - Forster’s Tern
   Thalasseus (2 species)
      Thalasseus maximus - Royal Tern
      Thalasseus sandvicensis - Sandwich Tern
   Rynchops (1 species)
      Rynchops niger - Black Skimmer

Family Laridae

Key to the genera of Family Laridae reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
Rissa
Pagophila
Xema
Chriococephalus
Hydrocoloeus
Leucophaeus
Larus
Onychoprion
Sternula
Gelochelidon
Hydroprogne
Chlidonias
Sterna
Thalasseus
Rynchops

Rissa (Kittiwake)
[information to be added]

Rissa tridactyla (Black-legged Kittiwake) - [information to be added]

Pagophila (Gull)
[information to be added]

Pagophila eburnea (Ivory Gull) - This species is rare in Maine.

Xema (Gull)
[information to be added]

Xema sabini (Sabine’s Gull) - [information to be added]

Chroicocephalus (Gull)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Chroicocephalus reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
C. philadelphia
C. ridibundus

Chroicocephalus philadelphia (Bonaparte’s Gull) - [information to be added]

Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull) - [information to be added]

Hydrocoloeus (Gull)
[information to be added]

Hydrocoloeus minutus (Little Gull) - [information to be added]

Leucophaeus (Gull)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Leucophaeus reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
L. atricilla
L. pipixcan

Leucophaeus atricilla (Laughing Gull) - [information to be added]

(click on image to enlarge)

Leucophaeus pipixcan (Franklin’s Gull) - This species is rare in Maine.

Larus (Gull)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Larus reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
L. canus
L. brachyrhynchus
L. delawarensis
L. argentatus
L. glaucoides
L. fuscus
L. schistisagus
L. hyperboreus
L. marinus

Larus canus (Common Gull) - This species is rare in Maine.

Larus brachyrhynchus (Short-billed Gull) - This species is rare in Maine.

Larus delawarensis (Ring-billed Gull) - [information to be added]

Larus argentatus (European Herring Gull) - [information to be added]
   
(click on an image to enlarge)

Larus glaucoides (Iceland Gull) - [information to be added]

Larus fuscus (Lesser Black-backed Gull) - [information to be added]

Larus schistisagus (Slaty-backed Gull) - [information to be added]

Larus hyperboreus (Glaucous Gull) - This species is rare in Maine.

Larus marinus (Great Black-backed Gull) - [information to be added]

(click on image to enlarge)

Onichoprion (Tern)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Onychoprion reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
O. fuscatus
O. anaethetus

Onychoprion fuscatus (Sooty Tern) - This species is rare in Maine.

Onychoprion anaethetus (Bridled Tern) - This species is rare in Maine.

Sternula (Tern)
[information to be added]

Sternula antillarum (Least Tern) - [information to be added]

Gelochelidon (Tern)
[information to be added]

Sternula nilotica (Gull-billed Tern) - This species is rare in Maine.

Hydroprogne (Tern)
[information to be added]

Hydroprogne caspia (Caspian Tern) - [information to be added]

Chlidonias (Tern)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Chlidonias reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
C. niger
C. leucoopterus

Chlidonias niger (Black Tern) - [information to be added]

Chlidonias leucopterus (White-winged Tern) - This species is rare in Maine.

Sterna (Tern)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Sterna reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
S. dougallii
S. hirundo
S. paradisaea
S. forsteri

Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern) - [information to be added]

Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) - [information to be added]

Sterna paradisaea (Arctic Tern) - [information to be added]

Sterna forsteri (Forster’s Tern) - [information to be added]

Thalasseus (Tern)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of Thalasseus reported in Maine or on the adjacent ocean

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
T. maximus
T. sandvicensis

Thalasseus maximus (Royal Tern) - [information to be added]

Thalasseus sandvicensis (Sandwich Tern) - This species is rare in Maine.

Rynchops (Skimmer)
[information to be added]

Rynchops niger (Black Skimmer) - [information to be added]