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 stout, 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. In South Carolina, 13 species have been recorded. 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. In South Carolina, 14 species have been recorded. 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. One species has been recorded in South Carolina.
- Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
- Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini
- Bonaparte's Gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia
- Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- Little Gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus
- Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
- Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan
- Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
- Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
- Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides
- Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus
- Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus
- Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
- Brown Noddy, Anous stolidus
- Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscata
- Bridled Tern, Onychoprion anaethetus
- Least Tern, Sternula antillarum
- Gull-billed Tern, Gelochelidon nilotica
- Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia
- Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
- White-winged Tern, Chlidonias leucopterus
- Roseate Tern, Sterna dougallii
- Common Tern, Sterna hirundo
- Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea
- Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri
- Royal Tern, Thalasseus maxima
- Sandwich Tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis
- Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of South Carolina