Family Laridae

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

22 species from the family Laridae.

Typical settings for this family#

Shutter (still)1/1000 s
Shutter (action)1/2500–1/4000 s
Aperturef/7.1–f/8
Size20–75 cm

22 species#

Ring-billed Gull Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis Laughing Gull Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla American Herring Gull American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus Western Gull Western GullLarus occidentalis Royal TernThalasseus maximus Forster's Tern Forster's TernSterna forsteri California GullLarus californicus Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia Heermann's Gull Heermann's GullLarus heermanni Great Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus Black SkimmerRynchops niger Common Tern Common TernSterna hirundo Glaucous-winged Gull Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens Short-billed GullLarus brachyrhynchus Least TernSternula antillarum Franklin's Gull Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus Iceland GullLarus glaucoides Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis Black Tern Black TernChlidonias niger Elegant Tern Elegant TernThalasseus elegans

Field-craft#

  • Terns dive — use 1/3200 s and continuous tracking AF.
  • Bright sand and surf fool meters — dial in exposure manually or with auto-ISO and compensation.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources