American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus Coues, 1862 (0, 35)
Photo © Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
STATUS
North America. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
BBRC RECORDS
1.0). 1994 Cheshire & Wirral Ashton's Flash, Northwich, first-winter, 24th February to 4th March; also in Lancashire & North Merseyside.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 504; D. Quinn, Cheshire & Wirral Bird Report 1995: 94-95; BOURC (1997), Ibis 139: 197; D. Quinn, British Birds 102: 342-347; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 560; BOURC (2010), Ibis 152: 200).
1.1). 1994 Lancashire & North Merseyside Otterspool, Liverpool, first-year, 6th March; same as Cheshire & Wirral.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 504).
2). 1995 Lancashire & North Merseyside Seaforth, first-winter, 26th March.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 504).
3). 1997 At sea Sea area Rockall, 57°43'N 12°24'W, juvenile to first-winter, 11th September, photo.
(Birding World 10 (9): 329, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 91: 479; Birding Scotland 1: 42-44; Birding World 10: 329, photo; Birding Scotland 1: 42-44; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photos).
4). 1997 Gloucestershire Frampton-on-Severn, first-winter, 15th December.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 581).
5). 1997 Isles of Scilly Porth Mellon, St Mary's, first-winter, intermittently, 18th December to 8th April 1998, photo.
(Birding World 10 (12): 450, photos; Birding World 11 (3): 109, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 91: 479; Isles of Scilly Bird Report 1997: photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 581, plates 211-213; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plates 69 & 70; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 560).
6). 1998 Devon Plym Estuary, first-summer, 26th April.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 95: 497).
7). 1999 Caithness Scrabster, first-winter, 6th to 13th March, video.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 575).
8). 2002 Outer Hebrides Gramsdale and Market Stance, Benbecula, first-winter, 20th January to 9th March, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594).
9). 2002 Outer Hebrides Gramsdale, Benbecula, first-winter, 2nd February to 12th April, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594).
10). 2002 Outer Hebrides Gramsdale, Benbecula, first-winter, 3rd February; presumed same, 2nd March to 12th April; same, 4th and 13th June.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594-595).
11). 2002 Isles of Scilly Abbey Pool, Tresco, first-winter, 6th to 28th February, dead 28th February, photo.
(Birding World 15 (2): 51, photo; R. L. FLood, Birding World 15 (3): 106-110, photos; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 575; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 70).
12). 2002 Isles of Scilly Tresco, first-winter, 24th February to 9th March, photo.
(R. L. Flood, Birding World 15 (3): 106-110, photos; P. A. Fraser and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 718).
13). 2002 Dorset Corfe Mullen Tip, Sturminster Marshall and Lychett Bay, first-winter, 4th March to 6th May.
(Birding World 15 (3): 96, photo; Birding World 15 (4): 146, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 575; Dorset Bird Report 2002: photo).
14). 2002 Cornwall Hayle Estuary, juvenile to first-winter, 9th to 10th March, photo.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 575; Birds in Cornwall 2002: photo).
15). 2002 Outer Hebrides Near Stinky Bay, Benbecula, first-winter, 12th April; presumed same, Ardivachar, South Uist, 21st April.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 595).
16). 2002 Outer Hebrides Loch Mor, Benbecular, first-winter, 14th April.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 595).
17). 2003 Cornwall Sennen, first-winter, 12th February to 14th May, photo.
(Birding World 16 (3): 119, photo; Birds in Cornwall 2003: photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 594).
18). 2004 Outer Hebrides Gramsdale, Benbecula, first-winter, 20th February to 1st March, photo.
(Birding World 17 (2): 53, photo; A. Murray, Birding Scotland 7: 96; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594).
19). 2004 Norfolk Blackborough End Tip, King's Lynn, second-winter, 28th to 29th February; presumed same, 29th May and 5th June, photo.
(Birding World 17 (6): 230, photos; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 105: 588).
20). 2004 Outer Hebrides Stornoway, Lewis, juvenile, 6th March to 17th April, photo.
(Birding Scotland 7 (2): plates 90-94; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 547).
21). 2005 Cornwall Sennen, first-winter, 24th March.
(P. A. Fraser, M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 50).
22). 2005 Cornwall Sennen, juvenile to first-winter, 25th October.
(P. A. Fraser, M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 50).
23). 2006 Outer Hebrides Rubha Ardvule, South Uist, second winter, 29th to 30th August, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594).
24). 2007 Cornwall Mousehole, first-winter, 9th to 20th March, photo; presumed same, Sennen area, 21st March to 30th May, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 560).
25). 2007 Argyll Gott, Tiree, first-winter, 20th March, photo; presumed same, Loch Bhasapol, Tiree, 25th May, 7th June, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 546).
26). 2007 Outer Hebrides Stinky Bay, Benbecula, first-summer, 19th June, photo.
(Birding World 20 (6): 230, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 547).
27). 2008 Outer Hebrides Stornoway, Lewis, first-winter, 18th January, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 102: 560).
28). 2009 Devon Otter Estuary and Budleigh Salterton, first-winter, 13th to 20th February, again, 6th to 16th March, photo.
(Birding World 22 (2): 47, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 103: 594).
29). 2014 Argyll Kilmichael and Campbeltown, Kintyre, first-winter, 6th February to 27th March, photo.
(D. Brown, Scottish Birds 34: 266-267, plates 242-244; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 594, plate 342).
30). 2015 Outer Hebrides Hirta, St Kilda, 2CY, 11th to 15th June when found dead, photo.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 598).
31). 2016 Outer Hebrides Garrygall and Craigston, Barra, 2CY, 24th February to 22nd April, photo.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 589, plate 316).
32). 2016 Isles of Scilly Municipal Dump, St Mary's, 3CY, 23rd October, photo.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 589).
33). 2017 Suffolk Great Livermere, 2CY, 15th to 16th April, photo.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 580; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 606).
34.0). 2020 Devon Axe Estuary, 2CY, 14th February, photo; also seen Dorset.
(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 587).
34.1). 2020 Dorset West Bexington, 2CY, 25th to 26th February, photo; same as Devon.
(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 587).
P). 2023 Cornwall Newlyn, first-winter, 5th to 10th January, photo.
(birding information services).
35). 2023 Highland Fort William area, first-winter, 3rd to 4th March, photo.
(BBRC - Web-WIP-11-3-24).
