10 |
![]() |
Silver GullAlternate name(s): "Red-legged Gull", "Red-billed Gull", "Crimson-billed Gull", "Jameson Gull", "Mackarel Gull", "Seagull"; misnomer: "Sea-pigeon" ![]() Size: 38-42 cm; wing span 91-96 cm Weight: 195-430 g (race "novaehollandiae"); 150-365 g (race "scopulinus") |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
See Silver
Gull at Wikipedia |
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Race "novaehollandiae"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Silver Gull (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
Frontal view of a Silver Gull
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Frontal view of a preening Silver Gull
[Sydney, NSW, April 2006]
"Am I wearing the right shoes for tonight's fancy dress ball?"
[Myall Lakes NP,
NSW, June 2009]
Near-lateral view of a Silver Gull
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
Close-up lateral portrait of an adult Silver Gull
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Close-up lateral view of a Silver Gull (photo courtesy of A.
Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2012]
Lateral view of a Silver Gull
[Iluka Bluff, Bundjalung
NP, NSW, May 2014]
Lateral view of a resting adult Silver Gull
[Myall Lakes NP,
NSW, June 2009]
Lateral view of two Silver Gulls standing in shallow water
[Goran Lake, NSW, August 2011]
Near-dorsal view of a Silver Gull
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a Silver Gull
[Iluka Bluff, Bundjalung
NP, NSW, May 2014]
Dorsal view of a Silver Gull
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
Dorsal view of three Silver Gulls
[Goran Lake, NSW, August 2011]
Silver Gull displaying its characteristic wing pattern during landing
[Near Walgett, NSW, April 2009]
Flock of Silver Gulls taking off
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Direct size comparison between a
Pacific Gull,
right, and a Silver Gull, left
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Albany, WA, January 2015]
Frontal view of a Silver Gull in flight
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, February 2019]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Silver Gull in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Near-lateral view of a Silver Gull in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Lateral view of a Silver Gull in flight looking at the photographer
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Lateral view of a Silver Gull in flight
[Iluka Bluff, Bundjalung
NP, NSW, May 2014]
Lateral view of a Silver Gull in flight
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Second-year immature Silver Gull in the last stages of moulting
into adult plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
Second-year immature Silver Gull on water
[Iluka Bluff, Bundjalung
NP, NSW, May 2014]
Lateral view of a second-year immature Silver Gull
(photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
Lateral view of a first-year immature Silver Gull that
still has remnant brownish specks of its juvenile
plumage
on the wing coverts (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Silver Gull on a
beach
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Albany, WA, January 2015]
Lateral view of a juvenile Silver Gull
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
Lateral view of a juvenile Silver Gull
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Direct comparison of the plumages of an adult Silver Gull (left)
with two juvenile birds (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Dec | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 22 - 26 days | Fledging age: ca. 28 days |
The breeding season listed in the table above applies to the southern part of the Australian continent. In the North they can breed any time of the year. Normally they nest in dense colonies, on isolated, sparsely vegetated islands, but they can occasionally be found closer to human activity as well.
Nest building: Female & male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Scrape | Material: Dry plants | Height above ground: N/A |
Silver Gulls can also nest in dense low shrubs or in other settings, such as e.g. man-made structures in harbours.
Overview of Silver Gulls nesting on a rock ledge
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, October 2022]
Overview of Silver Gulls nesting in coastal samphire
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, October 2022]
Overview of Silver Gulls nesting on a crystallized salt structure
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Lagoon, St. Kilda, SA, October 2022]
Two Silver Gull nests on a crystallized salt structure
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Lagoon, St. Kilda, SA, October 2022]
Close-up view of a Silver Gull on its nest on crystallized salt
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Lagoon, St. Kilda, SA, October 2022]
One of two Silver Gull chicks in a rudimentary nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Jetty of the Queenscliff ferry, Sorrento, VIC, September 2019]
One of two Silver Gull chicks in a rudimentary nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Jetty of the Queenscliff ferry, Sorrento, VIC, September 2019]
One of the adult Silver Gulls who were raising the brood
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Jetty of the Queenscliff ferry, Sorrento, VIC, September 2019]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 53 x 38 mm | Colour: Brownish-grey, with brown to black speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
Silver Gull nest on a rock ledge with two eggs in it
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, October 2022]
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Flock |
Silver Gulls are the only species of gulls in Australia that will venture inland, away from the coast.
Often squabbles break out between Silver Gulls about who has
stolen the food of others
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
This small mob of Silver Gulls used an unusual hunting technique,
by rising out of water in which they could stand, to then dive on
their prey from as little as 1 m high
[40 km S of Mungindi, NSW, January 2023]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
There is a separate page on how a Silver Gull rinses a fish before eating it.
Like all gulls, Silver Gulls are opportunistic. They will feed on anything from carrion and discarded entrails to fish, chicks of other bird species and eggs. They are often found around fish markets, fishermen and fishing boats, knowing there will be scraps to scavenge.
Two sub-adult Silver Gulls arguing about how will get first bite
at an Estuary Cobbler
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Albany, WA, January 2015]
Silver Gull with something unidentifiable to eat
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Because the competition also wants it, the safest thing to do is
to carry it away
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Immature Silver Gull with the leftovers of somebody else's meal
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]
Juvenile Silver Gull acquiring the art of scavenging food from humans
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Tweed River, Tweed Heads, NSW, December 2014]
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
slvgull_20220130_3.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
slvgull_20220130_2.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Contact calls Q&A (mob in flight) |
© MD | |
slvgull_20220912.mp3 |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Contact calls Q&A (small mob in flight) |
© MD | |
slvgull_me_20210927.m4a |
novaehollandiae (TAS) |
Contact calls (+ New Holland Honeyeater) |
© ME | |
slvgull_me_20210927_2.m4a |
novaehollandiae (TAS) |
Contact calls (+ Little Penguin) | © ME | |
slvgull_20150327.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NE NSW) |
Begging calls (juvenile) + adult responding | © MD | |
slvgull_20220130_6.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Various (in flight) | © MD | |
slvgull_20220130_4.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
Various (mob in flight) | © MD | |
slvgull_20220130_5.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
? | © MD | |
slvgull_20220130.m4a |
novaehollandiae (NW NSW) |
? (mob in flight) | © MD |
More Silver Gull sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.