page_title: Larus
section_title: List of species in taxonomic order
hierarchical_section_title: Larus / Systematics and evolution / List of species in taxonomic order
context_page_description: Larus is a large genus of gulls with worldwide distribution. The genus name is from Ancient Greek laros or Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird.
  Many of its species are abundant and well-known birds in their ranges. Until about 2005–2007, most gulls were placed in this genus, but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of the genera Ichthyaetus, Chroicocephalus, Leucophaeus, and Hydrocoloeus for several species traditionally included in Larus.
  They are in general medium to large birds, typically grey or white, often with black markings on their heads or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.
  The taxonomy of the large gulls in the herring and lesser black-backed complex is very complicated, with different authorities recognising between two and eight species.
context_section_description: Pacific gull, L. pacificus
  Belcher's gull, L. belcheri
  Olrog's gull, L. atlanticus
  Black-tailed gull, L. crassirostris
  Heermann's gull, L. heermanni
  Common gull or mew gull, L. canus
  Ring-billed gull, L. delawarensis
  California gull, L. californicus
  Great black-backed gull, L. marinus
  Kelp gull, L.  dominicanus (called southern black-backed gull or karoro in New Zealand)
  Cape gull, L. d. vetula
  Glaucous-winged gull, L.  glaucescens
  Western gull, L.  occidentalis
  Yellow-footed gull, L.  livens
  Glaucous gull, L.  hyperboreus
  Iceland gull, L.  glaucoides
  Kumlien's gull, L.  g. kumlieni
  Thayer's gull, L.  g. thayeri
  European herring gull, L.  argentatus
  American herring gull, L.  smithsonianus
  Yellow-legged gull, L.  michahellis
  Caspian gull, L.  cachinnans
  Vega gull, L.  vegae (or East Siberian gull)
  Birula's gull, L.  v. birulai
  Mongolian gull, L. v. mongolicus
  Armenian gull, L.  armenicus
  Slaty-backed gull, L.  schistisagus
  Lesser black-backed gull, L.  fuscus
  Heuglin's gull, L.  f. heuglini
  Fossils of Larus gulls are known from the Middle Miocene, about 20-15 million years ago; allocation of earlier fossils to this genus is generally rejected nowadays. Biogeography of the fossil record suggests that the genus evolved in the northern Atlantic and spread globally during the Pliocene, when species diversity seems to have been highest, as with most seabirds.
  Larus sp. (Grund Middle Miocene of Austria)
  Larus sp. (Middle Miocene of Romania) 
  Larus sp. (Late? Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, U.S.) - several species 
  Larus elmorei (Bone Valley Early/Middle Pliocene of the southeastern U.S.)
  Larus lacus (Pinecrest Late Pliocene of the southeastern U.S.)
  Larus perpetuus (Pinecrest Late Pliocene of the southeastern U.S.)
  Larus sp. (San Diego Late Pliocene of the southwestern U.S.)
  Larus oregonus (Late Pliocene - Late Pleistocene of the west-central U.S.)
  Larus robustus (Late Pliocene - Late Pleistocene of the west-central U.S.)
  Larus sp. (Lake Manix Late Pleistocene of the western U.S.)
  "Larus" raemdonckii (Early Oligocene of Belgium) is now at least tentatively believed to belong in the procellariiform genus Puffinus. "L." elegans (Late Oligocene?/Early Miocene of St-Gérand-le-Puy, France) and "L." totanoides (Late Oligocene?/Early Miocene of southeastern France) are now in Laricola, while "L." dolnicensis (Early Miocene of the Czech Republic) was actually a pratincole; it is now placed in Mioglareola.
  The Early Miocene "Larus" desnoyersii (southeastern France) and "L." pristinus (John Day Formation, Willow Creek, U.S.) probably do not belong in this genus; the former may be a skua.
caption: A herring gull (front) and a lesser black-backed gull (behind) in Norway are two species with clear differences.
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