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Nature Quiz - British Birds - Cormorants and Gulls (Questions)

Meet cormorants and gulls, masters of coastlines and lakes. Learn what they eat, how they move, and the features that help you identify them.

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(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Many gulls are opportunistic feeders, and they may gather behind ploughs because turned soil brings worms and insects to the surface.

In Specialist Nature, bird ID is about noticing patterns. Cormorants are expert fishers that often dive and then perch to rest, while gulls are adaptable fliers found from beaches to towns. This quiz helps you spot key features like shape, bill, and behaviour.

  • Plumage: A bird’s feathers, including their colour and pattern.
  • Roost: A place where birds rest or sleep, often in groups.
  • Forage: To search for food, on land, in water, or along the shore.
How can I tell a cormorant from a shag?

Cormorants are usually bigger, with a heavier look and a clearer pale patch on the face in breeding season. Shags are slimmer, often show a small crest, and can look greener in good light.

Why do cormorants stand with their wings open?

Cormorants often hold their wings out to dry and warm their feathers after diving. This can help them get ready for the next hunt and may also help them regulate body temperature.

What are the easiest ways to identify gulls in the UK?

Start with size and shape, then check leg colour, bill colour and markings, and the pattern on the wing tips when the bird is flying. Many gulls also change appearance as they grow, so age matters too.

To see a larger image, click on the picture.
1. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
[ ] Black-legged Kittiwake
2. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
3. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] European Herring Gull
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Black-legged Kittiwake
4. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] Black-legged Kittiwake
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
5. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
6. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] European Shag
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
[ ] Lesser Black-backed Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
7. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
8. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] European Herring Gull
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] European Shag
9. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
10. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] European Herring Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Lesser Black-backed Gull
[ ] European Shag
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Nature Quiz - British Birds - Cormorants and Gulls (Answers)
1. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[x] Great Black-backed Gull
[ ] Black-legged Kittiwake
2. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Cormorant
[x] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
3. What is the name of this bird?
[x] Little Gull
[ ] European Herring Gull
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Black-legged Kittiwake
4. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[x] Black-legged Kittiwake
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
5. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Little Gull
[x] Mediterranean Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
6. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] European Shag
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
[x] Lesser Black-backed Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
7. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
[x] Great Cormorant
[ ] Mediterranean Gull
8. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] European Herring Gull
[ ] Common Gull
[ ] Little Gull
[x] European Shag
9. What is the name of this bird?
[ ] Great Cormorant
[ ] Great Black-backed Gull
[x] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Common Gull
10. What is the name of this bird?
[x] European Herring Gull
[ ] Black-headed Gull
[ ] Lesser Black-backed Gull
[ ] European Shag