Little Gull

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Coast, reservoirs (passage).
Diet: Insects, small fish.
Best time to spot: Smallest gull; tern-like flight.

When to look

A passage migrant. Look for it on spring and autumn movements rather than through the summer. Numbers peak in April. See the April birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Little Gull sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Black TernRare · Reservoirs (passage)
• Pallid SwiftRare · Coast
• Ring-billed GullRare · Reservoirs
• Yellow-legged GullRare · South coast
• Common GullCommon · Reservoirs
• WhimbrelUncommon · Northern moors (summer); coast (passage)

Kit that helps

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