GULLS and TERNS OF THE WORLD

Many years ago, when I first started birding abroad, I set myself a target to see all the gull species in the world, primarily as a focus in deciding where to travel. This is because they are one of only a few bird families which breed on every continent. I achieved my aim several years ago, although there are one or two which I haven't managed a decent photograph of, such as the newly-split Short-billed Gull; two of the most attractive gulls I've only seen as vagrants to Britain, namely Ivory and Ross's. Obviously Ann and I have co-incidentally seen most terns as well, so I've included these. Gull taxonomy seems to be in a permanent state of flux, I believe I have seen all potential future splits, but the total number has increased by at least five species since I started my quest. The taxonomic order has also changed, with several new genera, this is reflected in the latest update, March 2022.

SWALLOW-TAILED GULL
Creagrus furcatus.
RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Rissa brevirostris
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Rissa tridactyla
IVORY GULL
Pagophila eburnea
SABINE'S GULL
Xema sabini
SLENDER-BILLED GULL
Chroicocephalus genei
BONAPARTE'S GULL
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
SILVER GULL
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
BLACK-BILLED GULL
Chroicocephalus bulleri
ANDEAN GULL
Chroicocephalus serranus
BROWN-HEADED GULL
Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
BROWN-HOODED GULL
Chroicocephalus maculipennis
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
GREY-HEADED GULL
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
HARTLAUB'S GULL
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
SAUNDER'S GULL
Chroicocephalus saundersi
LITTLE GULL
Hydrocoloeus minutus
ROSS'S GULL
Rhodostethia rosea
DOLPHIN GULL
Leucophaeus scoresbii
LAVA GULL
Leucophaeus fuliginosus
LAUGHING GULL
Leucophaeus atricilla
FRANKLIN'S GULL
Leucophaeus pipixcan
GREY GULL
Leucophaeus modestus
RELICT GULL
Ichthyaetus relictus
AUDOUIN'S GULL
Ichthyaetus audouinii
MEDITERRANEAN GULL
Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
PALLAS'S GULL
Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
WHITE-EYED GULL
Ichthyaetus leucopthalamus
SOOTY GULL
Ichthyaetus hemprichii
PACIFIC GULL
Larus pacificus
BAND-TAILED GULL
Larus belcheri
OLROG'S GULL
Larus atlanticus
BLACK-TAILED GULL
Larus crassirostris
HEERMANN'S GULL
Larus heermanni
COMMON GULL
Larus canus
SHORT-BILLED GULL
Larus brachyrhynchus
RING-BILLED GULL
Larus delawarensis
CALIFORNIA GULL
Larus californicus
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
Larus marinus
KELP GULL
Larus dominicanus
CAPE GULL
Larus (dominicanus) vetula
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
Larus glaucescens
WESTERN GULL
Larus occidentalis
"OLYMPIC" GULL
Larus glaucescens x occidentalis
YELLOW-FOOTED GULL
Larus livens
GLAUCOUS GULL
Larus hyperboreus
ICELAND GULL
Larus glaucoides
KUMLIEN'S GULL
Larus (glaucoides) kumlieni
THAYER'S GULL
Larus (glaucoides) thayeri
HERRING GULL
Larus argentatus
AMERICAN HERRING GULL
Larus smithsonianus
YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
Larus michahellis
VEGA GULL
Larus vegae
CASPIAN GULL
Larus cachinnans
ARMENIAN GULL
Larus armenicus
SLATY-BACKED GULL
Larus schistisagus
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
Larus fuscus
BALTIC GULL
Larus (fuscus) fuscus
HEUGLIN'S GULL
Larus (fuscus) heuglini
STEPPE GULL
Larus (fuscus) barabensis
GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica
AUSTRALIAN TERN Gelochelidon macrotarsa
CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia
ROYAL TERN Thalasseus maximus
GREATER CRESTED TERN Thalasseus bergii
LESSER CRESTED TERN Thalasseus bengalensis
WEST AFRICAN CRESTED TERN Thalasseus albididorsalis
SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis
CABOT'S TERN Thalasseus acuflavidus
CAYENNE TERN Thalasseus (acuflavidus) eurygnathus
ELEGANT TERN Thalasseus elegans
LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons
LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum
YELLOW-BILLED TERN Sternula superciliaris
DAMARA TERN Sternula balaenarum
SPECTACLED TERN Onychoprion lunatus
BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus
SOOTY TERN Onychoprion fuscatus
ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii
WHITE-FRONTED TERN Sterna striata
BLACK-NAPED TERN Sterna sumatrana
SOUTH AMERICAN TERN Sterna hirundinacea
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo
WHITE-CHEEKED TERN Sterna repressa
ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea
ANTARCTIC TERN Sterna vittata
FORSTER'S TERN Sterna forsteri
SNOWY-CROWNED TERN Sterna trudeaui
BLACK-FRONTED TERN Chlidonias albostriatus
WHISKERED TERN Chlidonias hybrida
WHITE-WINGED TERN Chlidonias leucopterus
BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger
AMERICAN BLACK TERN Chlidonias (niger) surinamensis
LARGE-BILLED TERN Phaetusa simplex
INCA TERN Larosterna inca
BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus
BLACK NODDY Anous minutus
GREY NODDY Anous albivitta
WHITE TERN Gygis alba
BLACK SKIMMER Rhyncops niger