Mew Gull
| Larus canus | Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) |
Larus canus
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
Europe’s Common Gull (Larus canus) was considered a separate species from the most abundant gull of western Alaska, the Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus), until the two were lumped by the American Ornithologists’ Union in 1931. The American subspecies was given a new name, the Mew Gull. In 2021, the American Ornithological Society brought the bird’s taxonomy in line with other groups, splitting the American form and renaming it the Short-billed Gull. (The Common Gull’s name remained the same.).
This endearing little gull is the common nesting “seagull” of many Alaskan cities.