Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
The Ring-billed Gull is the most common gull along St. Lawrence River and lakes in Montreal. The species is adapted well to the city life and it can be observed frequently to compete directly against pigeons for food.
- 🇫🇷 Goéland à bec cerclé
- 🇩🇪 Ringschnabelmöwe
- 🇲🇽 Gaviota de Delaware
Characteristics
- Length: 56-64cm
- Weight: 340-450g
- Wingspan: 120-150cm
How to Identify
You need to get close to this species to identify. Ring-billed gulls feature a black ring around the bill, as their name indicate. This characteristic can be observed also on older juveniles. This gull is the smallest of the gulls in Montreal, Although size is a weak distinctive mark, especially when compared with the only slightly larger Herring Gull.
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Where and When to Spot
This species can be observed all year along the river and lakes in Montreal and it is especially abundant at the border of the river in parks like Rapids Park Lachine. It is less frequent in winter, though.Further you can spot this species in the city itself. Usually, when you spot a gull in the streets of Montreal it is a Ring-billed Gull.
Observations by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jardin Botanique de Montréal | x | - | x | - |
| Parc Angrignon | x | x | x | x |
| Parc Bernard-Landry | x | - | - | - |
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | - | x |
| Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies | x | - | - | - |
| Parc de la Cité | - | x | - | - |
| Parc de la Frayère | x | x | x | x |
| Parc des Rapides, Lachine | x | x | x | x |
| Parc Île-de-la-Visitation | x | - | - | - |
| Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park | - | x | - | - |
"-" indicates no observation. It may not necessarily mean though that the species is absent from the park during that season.