俗称海鸥，是最为普遍的海鸟，在鸟类传统分类系统中是鸟纲鸻形目的一个科。鸥与燕鸥关系密切，而涉禽类、海雀及剪嘴鸥则是其远房亲戚。大部份的鸥均是属于鸥属。

牠们是中型至大型的鸟类，其外表为灰色或白色，通常其头部或翅膀有着黑色的标记。其有着矮腿、长喙及蹼。

大部份鸥，特别是属于鸥属的物种，是杂食性动物。其会食用有生命的食物或腐肉，有生命的食物包括蟹及小鱼。

除了三趾鸥外，鸥通常是沿海或内地的物种，极少数会冒险在大洋上生活。大型鸥四岁时成年，而小型鸥则在两岁时成年。

鸥，特别是大型鸥，是富于谋略及拥有高度智能的鸟类，这可以由其复杂的沟通方法及高度开发的社会结构看出，而部份物种如银鸥更有着使用工具的习性。很多物种的鸥已学会与人类共存的方法，并能在人类居住的地方繁衍。

Gulls, often referred to as seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mew, cognate with German Möwe, Danish måge, Dutch meeuw, and French mouette; this term can still be found in certain regional dialects.