You've probably heard this before, but a seagull is not a real animal. Normally when people say they saw a seagull, they are actually refering to a common gull (Larus canus) or a herring gull (Larus argentatus), or when refering to the massive seagulls of Aberdeen, a greater black-backed gull (Larus maritimus). And did you know that a herring gull is on the UK bird red list and that greater black-backed gulls and common gulls are amber listed?

So what does this mean? This means that they have been identified to be at different levels of conservation concern in the UK. We see them all the time and they're even sometimes (perhaps wrongly) considered to be pests. So why are they of conservation concern? This report (1) assesses birds based on more factors than their population size, including population trends, historical decline, changes in range, local distribution, international importance, and rarity. Also interestingly, the red list status of herring gulls places them higher than white-tailed eagles, which are amber listed!

What other species are on this lists? The link to the British Trust for Ornithology’s Birds of Conservation Concern 5 is included below if you'd like to have a proper dive into it, some of them are rather surprising, such as the red listed starlings and shags, which we see fairly regularly at Greyhope Bay.

Since starting our regular bird surveys, we've counted at least 10 red listed birds and approximately 20 amber listed birds! If you’re keen to learn more about your local sea birds, why not join us on our next bird survey (weather permitting!) on Sunday 22nd February. You can book your free spaces here.

Photo credits: Herring gull & great black-backed gull - Greyhope Bay team, common gull - Bethany (@bethanbirds).

1. https://www.bto.org/our-work/science/publications/reports/birds-conservation-concern

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