Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 191, 223 & 227-229.

Order CHARADRIIFORMES: Waders, Gulls and Terns The family sequence of Christidis & Boles (1994), who adopted that of Sibley et al. (1988) and Sibley & Monroe (1990), is followed here.

Suborder LARI: Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Condon (1975) and Checklist Committee (1990) recognised three subfamilies within the Laridae (Larinae, Sterninae and Megalopterinae) but this division has not been widely adopted. We follow Gochfeld & Burger (1996) in recognising gulls in one family (Laridae) and terns and noddies in another (Sternidae). The sequence of species for Stercorariidae and Laridae follows Peters (1934) and for Sternidae follows Bridge et al. (2005).

Family LARIDAE Rafinesque: Gulls Laridia Rafinesque, 1815: Analyse de la Nature: 72 – Type genus Larus Linnaeus, 1758.

Genus Larus Linnaeus Larus Linnaeus, 1758: Syst. Nat., 10th edition 1: 136 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus marinus Linnaeus. Gavia Boie, 1822: Isis von Oken, Heft 10: col. 563 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus ridibundus Linnaeus. Junior homonym of Gavia Moehring, 1758. Hydrocoleus Kaup, 1829: Skizz. Entw.-Gesch. Eur. Thierw.: 113 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus minutus Linnaeus. Chroicocephalus Eyton, 1836: Cat. Brit. Birds: 53 – Type species (by monotypy) Larus cucullatus Reichenbach = Larus pipixcan Wagler. Gelastes Bonaparte, 1853: Journ. für Ornith. 1: 47 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus gelastes Lichtenstein = Larus genei Brème. Dominicanus Bruch, 1853: Journ. für Ornith. 1: 100 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus marinus Linnaeus. Clupeilarus Bonaparte, 1856: Compt. Rend. Séa. Acad. Sci., Paris 42: 770 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Larus fuscus Linnaeus. Bruchigavia Bonaparte, 1857: Consp. Gen. Avium 2: 228 – Type species (by monotypy) Larus novaehollandiae Stephens. Astogavia Mathews, 1944: Emu 43: 244 – Type species (by original designation) Bruchigavia melanorhyncha Buller = Larus bulleri Hutton.

Crochet et al. (2000) proposed recognising several more gull genera than have recently been used world-wide but we have retained New Zealand species in Larus following Chu’s (1998) recommendation to retain taxonomic stability. Boie (1844: 196) listed “Larus melanoleucos” as from New Zealand but, as it does not include a description of the bird, it is a nomen nudum (Mathews & Iredale 1913: 248).

Larus novaehollandiae Stephens Red-billed Gull Larus Novae-Hollandiae Stephens, 1826: in G. Shaw, General Zool. 13(1): 196 – New South Wales, Australia. Gavia Andersonii Bruch, 1853: Journ. für Ornith. 1: 100 – New Zealand, error for New South Wales, Australia (fide Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 147). Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae (Stephens); Christidis & Boles 2008, Syst. Taxon. Australian Birds: 26, 146.

Three subspecies are recognised (Johnstone 1982, Higgins & Davies 1996): L. n. novaehollandiae Stephens (Australia); L. n. forsteri (Mathews, 1912) (New Caledonia and south-west Pacific); L. n. scopulinus J.R. Forster (New Zealand). Larus hartlaubii Bruch, 1853 of South Africa is sometimes treated as a subspecies of L. novaehollandiae (e.g. Checklist Committee 1990) but they are not closely related (Given et al. 2005). Schodde et al. (1983), Sibley & Monroe (1990) and Given et al. (2005) treated L. scopulinus as a full species but we await the inclusion of L. n. forsteri in a study before adopting this approach. Early reports of L. n. novaehollandiae in New Zealand (Dwight 1925) have not been verified (Johnstone 1982). The species straggles to Norfolk Island, where it has bred, but subspecies unknown, although both L. n. novaehollandiae and L. n. scopulinus suggested (Schodde et al. 1983, Hermes et al. 1986, Higgins & Davies 1996, Moore 1999).

Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus J.R. Forster Red-billed Gull Larus scopulinus J.R. Forster, 1843: in G.R. Gray, in E. Dieffenbach, Travels in N.Z. 2: 200. Nomen nudum. Larus scopulinus J.R. Forster, 1844: in M.H.C. Lichtenstein, Descrip. Animalium: 106 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Larus Jamesoni; G.R. Gray 1844, List Birds Brit. Mus. 3: 171. Not Larus jamesoni Wilson, 1831 = Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Larus novae Hollandiae; G.R. Gray 1845, in Richardson & J.E. Gray (eds), Zool. Voy. ‘Erebus’ & ‘Terror’, Birds 1(8): 18. Not Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Chroicocephalus Schimperi Bruch, 1853: Journ. für Ornith. 1: 104 – New Zealand. Chroicocephalus schimperi Bruch; Bonaparte 1857, Consp. Gen. Avium 2: 229. Lestris scopulinus (J.R. Forster); Ellman 1861, Zoologist 19: 7472. Larus schimperi Bonaparte [sic]; G.R. Gray 1862, Ibis 4: 248. Xema jamesonii; Layard 1863, Ibis 5: 245. Not Larus jamesoni Wilson, 1831 = Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Gelastes scopulinus (J.R. Forster); Blasius 1865, Journ. für Ornith. 13(6): 384. Larus (Gelastes) ?Andersonii Gray, 1871: Hand-list Birds 3: 116 – New Zealand. Junior secondary homonym of Gavia andersonii Bruch, 1853 = Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Larus scopulorum J.R. Forster; Potts 1872, Ibis 2 (3rd ser.): 38. Unjustified emendation. Larus Novae-Hollandiae; Finsch 1872, Journ. für Ornith. 20(4): 241. Not Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Larus scopulinus J.R. Forster; Saunders 1896, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 25: 238. Bruchigavia novaehollandiae scopulinus (J.R. Forster); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 247. Bruchigavia novae-hollandiae; Belcher 1914, Ibis 2 (10th ser.): 595. Bruchigavia novaehollandiae coincidens Mathews, 1944: Emu 43: 244 – subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus J.R. Forster; Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 50. Larus novaehollandiae; Lindsay 1963, Notornis 10: 304. Not Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826. Chroicocephalus scopulinus (J.R. Forster); Crochet et al. 2000, Journ. Evolut. Biology 13: 54.

Breeding on coasts and islets from Manawatäwhi / Three Kings Islands to Stewart / Rakiura, Chatham, Snares / Tini Heke, Auckland and Campbell / Motu Ihupuku Islands; also breeds inland at Lake Rotorua (Gurr & Kinsky 1965, Higgins & Davies 1996). Straggler to the Kermadec Islands (possibly L. n. novaehollandiae; Veitch et al. 2004) and Lord Howe Island (McAllan et al. 2004). Fossil and midden records from North, South, Stewart / Rakiura and Chatham Islands (Checklist Committee 1990, Millener 1991); a few probable Late Pleistocene records (Worthy & Grant-Mackie 2003).