European herring gull in flight, Norfolk, England, UK

We’re not sure if this European herring gull is conducting a symphony, describing the size of a fish that got away or just shaking the water off its wings. In fact, there’s a lot that’s unsure about the Larus genus of seabirds. Because these gulls breed in a ring pattern circling the Northern Hemisphere, scientists disagree on whether European, American and Asian gull populations are distinct species or subspecies. Whatever their taxonomy, just make sure that you close your beach basket when you see these birds about.