Seagulls flying in the sky, ocean birds are flying

How Long Do Seagulls Live?
Seagulls can live for decades. That’s a lot of time to snag snacks from unsuspecting people! There are more than 40 species of gulls, and lifespans vary between them. The oldest known lesser black-backed gull (a European species) lived to be 34, and the oldest herring gull, a common species in North America, lived to be at least 29. Seagull lifespan can vary widely, even within a species—most lesser black-backed gulls live for around 15 years.//

To study how long seagulls live, scientists attach leg bands to birds and track them over time. When they band them, scientists estimate how old the birds are based on their feathers, which look different as nestlings, juveniles, and adults. Banding birds like this lets scientists discover interesting things about their lives. One elderly seagull living in Bristol in the United Kingdom, for example, retired to the sunny climate of southern Spain at the end of its life!//

Curious about these clever, adaptable avian animals? Now that you know how long seagulls live, check out some other seagull facts.//