Gulls, Terns and Skimmers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae
Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have longish bills, and webbed feet. The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Terns are in general medium to large birds, typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. They have longish bills and webbed feet. They are lighter bodied and more streamlined than gulls, and look elegant in flight with long tails and long narrow wings. Skimmers are tropical and subtropical species. They have an elongated lower mandible. They feed by flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water for small fish.
- Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
- Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan (R)
- Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus
- Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- Bonaparte's Gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia
- Black-tailed Gull, Larus crassirostris
- Mew Gull, Larus canus (R, S)
- Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
- Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
- Thayer's Gull, Larus thayeri (R) (S)
- Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides
- Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
- Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus
- Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
- Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini (R)
- Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
- Ross's Gull, Rhodostethia rosea (R)
- Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscata (R)
- Bridled Tern, Onychoprion anaethetus (R)
- Least Tern, Sternula antillarum
- Gull-billed Tern, Gelochelidon nilotica (R)(S)
- Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia
- Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
- White-winged Tern, Sterna leucopterus
- Roseate Tern, Sterna dougallii
- Common Tern, Sterna hirundo
- Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea (R)
- Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri
- Royal Tern, Thalasseus maxima (R)
- Sandwich Tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis
- Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
- Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of Connecticut