Regular and common (but perhaps declining) winter visitor. In recent years, small numbers have begun breeding on buildings, including in Birmingham, Worcester and Solihull.

See also:  Roof-top nesting gulls within the Birmingham boundary

Herring Gull is perhaps the archetypical gull. In the West Midlands Region it is principally a winter visitor, taking advantage of the easy feeding at refuse tips and the roost-sites provided by waters such as reservoirs and gravel-pits. It appears to be even more dependent upon refuse tips for feeding than is Lesser Black-backed Gull, so that the closure of landfill sites is likely to lead to a radical decrease in wintering numbers.

Conversely, in recent years small numbers have begun breeding on flat-roofed buildings in Birmingham and Worcester among other sites. Even larger numbers of Lesser Black-backs are also now breeding at these sites. As nesting gulls can be quite aggressive, there is public concern at this phenomenon. In the Bristol area, where roof-top nesting is well-established, there is now a recognised 'problem' and means of dispersing the gulls are being investigated.

Winter Status

Herring Gull is a numerous winter visitor to the region and is found in moderate to large numbers at all the major gull roosts. It remains a numerous species but there was evidence of a decline during the latter part of the 1970s and the 1980s  compared with peak numbers recorded during the early 1970s. During that period, peak counts included 5000 at Draycote Water (Warks), 4000 at Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs), 3500 at Chasewater (Staffs) and 1000 in the Kingsbury area of the Warwickshire Tame Valley. Harrison et al. (1982) estimated that over 15000 were wintering in the region during the early 1970's but that this had declined to 10000-12000 by the end of the decade. Harrison & Harrison (2005) estimated that the regional wintering population was between 5000 and 8000 at the start of the current millennium. Since that time, numbers at individual sites have varied, primarily reflecting levels of activity at the nearest landfill sites. In N. Warks the closure of landfill sites has already been reflected in lower numbers of LWHGs at the Coton Lakes roost. In Worcs over 6000 Herring Gulls have been counted at the huge Throckmorton Landfill but that site ceased receiving household waste in October 2016, with a radical decline in the numbers of LWHGs. Landfill with organic waste was reinitiated during 2018 (apparently as a result of problems with county incinerators) and there was a partial recovery in the numbers of LWHGs. This is presumably a temporary 'reprieve' and it will be interesting to see how numbers respond across the region, as landfill operations are actively discouraged.

The five-yearly mean maximum counts at selected sites between 1986 and 2015 are presented in Table 1.

Five-yearly mean maximum counts of Herring Gulls at selected sites in the West Midlands Region, 1986 - 2015.

Confirmation of declining numbers of wintering gulls at the national level were provided when, after a 20-year gap, a new BTO-organised nationwide survey of wintering gulls (‘WinGS’) was conducted during 2023/24 and 2024/25. This report confirmed that, since the previous national survey in 2003/04 – 2005/06, substantial declines have occurred on the UK scale for four of the five main wintering species for which estimates were produced (Black-headed Gull, Common Gull L. canus, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus). In contrast, the numbers of Herring Gulls were deemed to have remained relatively stable. However, the authors of the BTO report note that, for Herring Gull, there are some contradictions between the results of the latest WinGS census and other sources of data such as wintering waterbird trends produced by the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), which show sustained declines. One possible explanation proffered is a change in roosting behaviour, with Herring Gulls becoming increasingly concentrated at large, regular roost sites.

In the West Midlands region, the local perception has been that wintering numbers of all species, including Herring Gull, have declined regionwide. However, where landfill sites are still active, such as in the areas around Chasewater and Draycote, substantial numbers of Herring Gulls (and other species of gull) are still to be encountered. Conceivably, this may be an example of redistribution of gulls rather than an overall decline, with comparable numbers but now concentrated at fewer sites. The WinGS report notes that, among Inland sites, Draycote Water recorded the highest total of 46,908 gulls overall. Of this total 7900 were Herring Gulls. The WMBC Annual Report No. 89 lists 9000 Herring Gulls at Draycote in January 2022. Prior to 2020 there were few systematic counts from Draycote but these numbers of Herring Gulls are significantly higher than the previously reported site maxima.

Wintering Herring Gulls in the West Midlands area are considered to include a significant number of nominate argentatus from Scandinavia (see below). The closure of landfill sites will presumably be a deterrent for nominate argentatus to migrate from Scandinavia to the UK. With landfill sites around Chasewater and Draycote presumably on 'borrowed time', it will be revealing to see for how long their significant populations of wintering Herring Gulls are maintained.

Ringing studies (Green 1977, 1978; Stewart 1997) and field studies (Hume 1978) indicate that, as well as British argenteus, a significant proportion of the Herring Gulls wintering in the West Midlands Region are of Scandinavian origin i.e. nominate argentatus. This is supported by the monthly profile of numbers (Dean 1987). Ringing studies in northern Britain (Coulson et al. 1984) and in southeast England (Stanley et al. 1981) have indicated that nominate argentatus arrives on the wintering grounds later in the season than argenteus. British Herring Gulls tend to winter relatively close to their breeding grounds and there is significant occupation of wintering sites from August onwards (Stanley et al. 1981). By contrast, significant numbers of Scandinavian argentatus do not arrive in Britain before November and reach a peak in January; dispersal occurs rapidly in late January and February (see Coulson 2019).

For further details see 'Seasonality of Herring Gulls in the West Midlands region', which included the following figure indicating the winter distribution of Herring Gulls in the region, based upon data collected during the 1970s and 1980s.

Fig. 1. Half-monthly distribution of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus: (a) right-hand scale and line: mean counts at Blithfield Reservoir, Staffordshire, 1974/75-83/84; (b) left-hand scale and blocks: summated counts in the West Midlands Region, 1970-84.

Thus, the characteristics of the winter profile - with numbers increasing from November, reaching a considerable peak in January, and a rapid dispersal during February - are close to those for populations known to include a significant argentatus component.

Breeding status

Herring Gulls have started to breed in the region since Figure 1 was generated in 1987 (but are well outnumbered by breeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls). The numbers of Herring Gulls present during spring, summer and even early autumn have increased correspondingly and some no doubt remain in the region throughout the winter. However, the numbers of breeding individuals (see below) are relatively small in comparison with the significant, incoming, mid-winter population, which numbers in the thousands. See <here> for discussions and graphics of the changes in monthly profile related to the larger breeding population of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The first breeding record of Herring Gull for the region involved a nest with two eggs discovered at a tip near Bromsgrove, Worcs, in 1969. For some years this remained an isolated breeding record. In 1993 a pair nested unsuccessfully at Throckmorton. Between 1999 and 2002 one to three pairs nested on roof-tops in Worcester and this increased to between 20 and 25 pairs between 2003 and 2005. In central Birmingham one of two pairs raised one chick in 2005 and now breed regularly in increasing numbers at roof-top sites in central Birmingham and in the area of Bromford and Tyburn, though numbers remain well below those of Lesser Black-backed Gull. An investigation of the gulls nesting on roof-tops within the Birmingham city boundary was conducted by Jim Winsper between 2008 and 2011and confirmed 31 pairs of Herring Gulls breeding, compared with an estimate of 550 pairs of Lesser Black-backs. The results of this study are presented at:

Roof-top nesting gulls within the Birmingham boundary

A pilot survey for a national census was organised during 2018 in Birmingham by the BTO and DEFRA and found increased populations of 300 'apparently occupied nests' (AONs) of Herring Gulls and 1921 AONs of Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Previous publications

Seasonality of Herring Gull in the West Midlands Region.

Wintering Glaucous, Iceland and Herring Gull in the midlands.