List of birds of Leicestershire and Rutland
Common name Binomial Status
Mediterranean gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Uncommon in winter and on passage
Laughing gull Leucophaeus atricilla Very rare , BBRC
Franklin 's gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Very rare , BBRC
Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Uncommon on passage ; rare to scarce in winter ;
Sabine 's gull Xema sabini Very rare , LROS
Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Abundant in winter , uncommon breeding
Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis Very rare , LROS
Common gull Larus canus Abundant in winter , fairly common to common on passage
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus Common in winter and on passage
Yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis Uncommon in winter and on passage
Herring gull Larus argentatus Common in winter , scarce to uncommon on passage
Caspian gull Larus cachinnans Uncommon in winter and on passage
Iceland gull Larus glaucoides Rare to scarce in winter , LROS
Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus Rare to scarce in winter , LROS
Great black-backed gull Larus marinus Fairly common in winter , scarce to uncommon on passage
Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Scarce on passage
Gulls
Order : Charadriiformes Family : Laridae Medium to large seabirds with grey , white and black plumage , webbed feet and strong bills . Many are opportunistic and adaptable feeders . There are about 56 species worldwide , 16 of which have been recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland . A black-headed gull in winter plumage flying at Rutland Water
Leicestershire and Rutland are neighbouring counties in the English Midlands. Rutland is the smallest county in England and its administration was amalgamated with its larger neighbour between 1974 and 1997. Since 1941, the two counties have shared a single bird-recording organisation, the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS). Since 1 January 1941, the date of the foundation of the LROS, 290 bird species have been recorded in the counties in an apparently natural wild state at least once. A further nine were documented prior to that date, but have not been recorded subsequently. There are nine introduced species that maintain themselves without necessary recourse to further introduction. The total list for the LROS recording area is therefore 308 species. Leicestershire and Rutland are landlocked lowland counties and most of the birds are typical of English farmland habitat. Many coastal, oceanic and highland birds are absent or rare, and there are few rare vagrants compared to coastal areas. The construction of two large reservoirs, Eyebrook Reservoir in 1940 and Rutland Water (England's largest reservoir) in 1976, has provided freshwater environments enabling many aquatic birds to thrive. The list below is based on the LROS checklist, using BOU species names, and the status descriptors in the accounts have the following meanings:
In the list below, BBRC means that a full description of nationally rare species is required for acceptance of the record by the British Birds Rarities Committee, and LROS indicates that a description of county rarities is required for acceptance of the record by the LROS Records Committee. Photographs of birds illustrating the list are not all taken within the locality.