About the Yellow-legged Gull
The yellow-legged gull or western yellow-legged gull is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Caspian gull L. cachinnans, or more broadly as a subspecies of the herring gull L. argentatus. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and the species name honours the German zoologist Karl Michahelles.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) |
| Species | Larus michahellis |
| Species Codes | yelgul1, YLGU |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Yellow-legged Gull belong to?
The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) belongs to the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae), in the order Charadriiformes.
How can I identify the Yellow-legged Gull?
The yellow-legged gull or western yellow-legged gull is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Caspian gull L. cachinnans, or more broadly as a subs...
Where can I report a Yellow-legged Gull sighting?
You can log sightings of Yellow-legged Gull on eBird (ebird.org) using species code yelgul1, or on iNaturalist.
Related Species in Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers 105 species
More Birds in Order Charadriiformes
Quick Stats
Spotted a Yellow-legged Gull?
Log your sighting on eBird or upload a photo to our AI Bird Identifier!