Gulls are everywhere, but most people see them as pests, taking for granted their remarkable variety and beauty. Many people think of gulls ("seagull" is not a technical term) as nothing more than obnoxiously screeching birds, swooping for food while leaving white fecal messes behind. Instead of being adored, gulls tend to be more of a punchline. If one agrees with the Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland that "eagles are seagulls with a good hairdo,” then gulls are eagles in desperate need of a quality PR machine.

“The Gull Guide: North America” is a book for people who agree that gulls deserve better than their unflattering reputation. Written and partially photographed by Amar Ayyash — host of the website anythinglarus.com and organizer of America’s largest gull-watching event, the annual Lake Michigan Gull Frolic — “The Gull Guide” is full of vivid and detailed photographs of the gulls themselves.

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Just as importantly, it is organized in an easily digestible format for newcomers: First we are taught how to identify different types of gulls, and then the different gull species types are divided into small tern-life and hooded gulls, Larus gulls, Herring gulls and various hybrids.

Salon spoke with Ayyash about his book, which was released on Oct. 29th.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

First, what made you take an interest in gulls?

Just their accessibility, their boldness, their identification challenges. I find it intriguing and I thought, you know, this could be something I could busy........

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