Little Gull

The Little Gull lives up to its name as the smallest gull species on Earth, barely larger than some terns and noticeably daintier than even Bonaparte's Gull. In breeding plumage it has a full black hood, pale gray upperparts, and a dark red bill and legs.

The single most distinctive feature of the Little Gull, however, is visible only in flight: the underwings are blackish-gray, a pattern found in no other gull species, creating a striking contrast with the white body as the bird flutters and dips over the water in buoyant, tern-like flight. The upperwing is pale gray with white trailing edges and lacks the dark wingtips typical of most gulls.

Originally an Old World species breeding across Eurasia, the Little Gull has established a small breeding presence around the Great Lakes region of North America and is a scarce but regular visitor along both coasts.

Key field marks

• Very small size, smallest gull in the world
• Blackish underwings, unique among gulls, visible in flight
• Black hood in breeding plumage
• Dark red bill and legs
• Rounded wings and buoyant, fluttering flight

Similar species

• Bonaparte's Gull: larger, black bill, and pale (not dark) underwings with a white leading-edge wedge.
• Black Tern: superficially similar dark appearance but has a forked tail and different flight action; not a true gull.

Habitat

Breeds in freshwater marshes with dense emergent vegetation. In migration and winter it favors coastal waters, bays, and large lakes, often well offshore.

Range and migration

Breeds primarily across northern and eastern Europe and Asia, with a small breeding population established around the Great Lakes of North America. Winters along temperate coasts including the North Sea, Mediterranean, and, in smaller numbers, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.

Behavior

Little Gulls forage buoyantly over the water, dipping to the surface in flight much like a tern rather than swimming and picking as many larger gulls do.

Voice

Calls include a short, sharp "kek" or "kay-ek" note, higher-pitched than the calls of larger gulls.

Feeding

Feeds primarily on insects, small fish, and crustaceans, often caught by dipping to the surface during agile, tern-like flight.

Nesting and breeding

Nests in loose colonies in marshes, building a well-hidden nest of vegetation among reeds or on floating mats. Clutches typically contain two to three eggs, incubated by both parents.