Join our expert trainers to learn how to identify gulls in winter in their myriad plumages.
Key information
Date / Time:
From 19:00 on 11 Nov 2025, to 18:45 on 18 Nov 2025
Location: Online via Zoom, , United Kingdom
Type: Training
Level: Beginner, Improver
Led by: Nick Moran, Jenny Donelan, Rob Jaques
Cost: £24
Places: 18
Learning to recognise gulls can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of bird identification.
During the winter months, the combination of birds of varying ages and in non-breeding plumage and breeding plumage can make gulls hard to identify, even for experienced birders.
This presents a challenge and an opportunity: there’s a potentially confusing array of plumages, but this can make it easier to focus on the structural features used to tell species apart.
About the course
Our Gull ID course involves two interactive online sessions of about two hours each, complemented by supported self-study exercises. We place a strong emphasis on providing you with tools and techniques to help you continue learning to identify birds after the course.
- This course is designed for amateur birdwatchers and bird survey volunteers – professionals seeking training should contact us by email at training@bto.org.
Session 1: Identifying smaller gulls
- Tuesday 11 November, 7–8:45 p.m.
We'll start by exploring the key elements of gull identification using a range of interactive activities, then introduce three helpful 'reference species'.
The remainder of the session will cover five smaller gulls – Common Gull, Kittiwake, Black-headed, Mediterranean and Little Gull – and there will be a self-study exercise to reinforce learning.
Session 2: Identifying large gulls
- Tuesday 18 November, 7–8:45 p.m.
After reviewing the self-study exercise, we'll turn our attention to the skills needed to identify larger gulls, including how to age them.
Although we will mention how these techniques can be used to help identify scarcer species such as Glaucous, Iceland and Yellow-legged Gulls, our main focus will be on Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls.
Presenters
The training will be run by BTO staff members Nick Moran, Jenny Donelan and Rob Jaques, all experienced birdwatchers and surveyors.
Attending the course online
This course will take place via Zoom (online). In order to participate, you will need:
- broadband of sufficient speed to view live video
- a computer with sound and ideally a webcam, or a tablet/smartphone
- good headphones or speakers that don’t automatically filter out high-pitched sounds.
Cost and attendance
The programme of two weekly online sessions and supported self-study exercises costs £24.
- There's an option to add a donation if you wish to further support the work of the BTO and are able to do so.
- If the cost is prohibitive, there is also a pricing option for those on lower incomes.
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both sessions to get the maximum benefit. Please note that we are unable to offer the sessions individually at a reduced price.
If you have any questions about the course, please contact us at training@bto.org.
Booking more than one place?
If you would like to book multiple places, please log out of your MyBTO account and book each place as a separate transaction. We aren't able to process multiple bookings through a single transaction at the moment.
Booking confirmation
After booking, you should receive an automatic confirmation email. If this doesn’t arrive, please check your spam/junk email folder. If it is not there, or you have any other questions or booking issues, please email us at training@bto.org.