FAMILY LARIDAE

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Birds (Class Aves)

• Shorebirds and Allies (Order Charadriiformes)​

• Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Family Laridae)​

​

Family Laridae comprises the gulls, terns, skimmers, and their close relatives, a widespread family of seabirds and shorebirds found on every continent, from tropical coastlines to the polar seas. Members of Laridae are highly adaptable birds that occupy marine coasts, estuaries, beaches, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and even inland agricultural and urban environments. They are generally characterized by long wings, strong flight capabilities, webbed feet, and versatile feeding habits that have allowed them to become some of the most successful aquatic birds in the world.