Common Gull (Larus canus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks November to February · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Common Gull has been recorded in 2,614 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (88%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in November to February.
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (IUCN Red List, NE)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 38% or more of visits
- High
- 18% to 38%
- Moderate
- 7% to 18%
- Low
- under 7%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 100% | 25% | Very high |
| February | 94% | 23% | Very high |
| March | 75% | 19% | Very high |
| April | 35% | 9% | Low |
| May | 29% | 7% | Low |
| June | 31% | 8% | Very high |
| July | 36% | 9% | Very high |
| August | 45% | 11% | Very high |
| September | 50% | 13% | Very high |
| October | 73% | 18% | High |
| November | 93% | 23% | Very high |
| December | 100% | 25% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HU30 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY40 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY41 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J08 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J11 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J21 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J26 | Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J54 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J66 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |