Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Ring-billed Gull [ventral view of adult standing]. Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Dillon Pond, Livingston, Overton County, Tennessee; 22 January 2012.

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Abundance: Common in the proper habitat (see below) during fall, winter, and spring; Rare during summer; recorded in 19 Regional counties (Map of UCR Distirbution); the wintering population is probably stable, perhaps even increasing (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Winter Resident; Visitor during summer; photograph [lateral view of juvenile standing] (Stephen J. Stedman; near dam at Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky; 27 January 2012).

Regional High Count: 4700 (27 January 2012; Mason's Island [gull roost], Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky; David L. Roemer, David R. Brown, and Stephen J. Stedman); CBC/CBB High Count: 4600 (31 December 2004; Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties [Glasgow CBC], Kentucky; m. ob.);l FBC/FBB High Count: 4 (29 April 2006; Cumberland County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 1 (19 September 2009; Putnam County [FBC], Tennessee; Barbara H. Stedman et al.).

Out-of-Season (Summer) Records:

17 July 2004 (1) Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton)

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: x (

    Late Spring: x (

Note: The extreme dates will slowly be rendered meaningless by the addition of more summer records. Fall arrival usually widespread by 1 November; spring departure usually largely complete by 31 March. Regional dates of earliest reported fall arrival and latest reported spring departure during winters from 2002–2003 to 2011–2012 follow:

* But see also Out-of-Season (Summer) Records (above).

Habitat: Medium- and large-sized lakes typically draw the largest numbers of this gull, the most common of the larids documented within the Region, but it may appear on almost any small lake or pond, especially during and just following the passage of inclement weather systems through the Region.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 0 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 2 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to a YardWatch frequency classification of Rare during the latter year; this YardWatch frequency classification is quite inconsistent with the overall Regional abundance classification, indicating the low likelihood of encountering this gull in Regional yards and neighborhoods, few of which have proper habitat for this species.

Remarks: Gull roosts are usually present from late fall through early spring on the larger Regional lakes at sites with a wide expanse of open water, where gulls (and other species; see below) rest on the water overnight.  On Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky, the main roost site, sometimes hosting several thousand individuals, is between Mason's Island and Bailey's Point (David L. Roemer pers. com.). A smaller roost featuring a few dozen to a hundred gulls is sporadically present at the Waitsboro Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Stephen J. Stedman pers. data); this large lake undoubtedly hosts other roost sites. Another roost of several dozen to a thousand gulls develops in most winters near the Floating Mill Recreation Area, Center Hill Lake, DeKalb County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman, pers. data); other roost sites may also be present on this large lake. No roost site is currently known for Dale Hollow Lake, Kentucky and Tennessee, but at least one roost site is undoubtedly present in most winters there also.

    The gull roost on Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky, also hosts a number of non-gull species, including both puddle and diving ducks, loons, grebes, and late-lingering terns; a Cattle Egret even tried to use the roost on one occasion (David L. Roemer, pers. com.).

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited