Listen to the European herring gull
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the European herring gull
The European herring gull is a bird in the family Laridae (order Charadriiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 134 cm.
What does the European herring gull sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as bioacoustica lyme gulls and flight call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The European herring gull or simply herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. It breeds throughout the northern and western coasts of Europe. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate farther south in winter, but many are permanent residents, such as in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.
Related birds in the genus Larus
More from the family Laridae
Frequently asked questions
What does an European herring gull sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the European herring gull on this page, including its bioacoustica lyme gulls and flight call. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the European herring gull endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the European herring gull as “least concern”.
What family does the European herring gull belong to?
The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) belongs to the family Laridae in the order Charadriiformes.
Sources & credits
- Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) (W1CDR0001420 BD12) – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- BioAcoustica Lyme Gulls – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Begging call, flight call, nocturnal flight call · Arnhem, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands by Joost van Bruggen – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Flight call · Jardin des Plantes (near Paris), Arrondissement de Paris… by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Larus argentatus in Szczecin, 15th January 2020 by Szczecinolog – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- European Herring Gull - Larus argentatus by Sonothèque ADVL – CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q28236 – CC0
- Wikipedia: European herring gull – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0