The Lari belongs to the same order as skuas, gulls, terns and other such birds. These birds are usually big, and they feed by hunting fish from the sea. Other similar birds like skuas and other gulls also hunt for food from the sea, but they are typically known to get their food from ocean shores, beaches, or even scavenging from other smaller birds and stealing their catch.

Some gulls are understood to have moved and adapted to inland life, as opposed to aquatic environments. This species of birds build their nests on the ground. Their diet mostly includes fish, crabs and other small sea animals. Usually, these Lari birds are adapted to the sea and seashore, and they hardly go out deep inside land.

This species of birds takes up to four years for a young one to mature and grows full adult feathers. However, the smaller gulls take only two years. The lifespan of this species is known to be long, and they are said to live up to forty years or even more, a case in point being a gull, which is said to have lived for forty-nine years.

The lari is known to be a communal bird, living in large groups, which have their nests, usually made of leaves and other plant material, on the ground. These communities are usually quite noisy and crowded. A Lari is known to lay about three eggs, and once a chick is hatched, it becomes immediately self reliant, not having to be taken care of by the parents. They are known to be quite capable, curious and clever.

The social life of these birds is highly advanced, and they have a very intricate communication system, which enables them to interact and communicate with each other in an organized and very efficient manner. For instance, when faced by a predator or an intruder within their colony, these birds will display a collective behavior of mobbing the intruder, where they will show aggression and be a nuisance, pestering and harassing the intruder. Other birds have been discovered to portray the ability to lure prey, such that they use bait to catch fish.

Many types of gulls are able to live within human environments, and they are known to have hierarchies in their communities. Strength and physical size usually determine who is high in the hierarchy. However, the adult males usually dominate over the females and young ones. This is commonly evident whenever there is a feud over boundaries, food or such a situation requiring one of the birds involved to give way.

Another distinct feature of these birds is that they strive to maintain personal distance, and it is rare for them to get in physical contact with other individuals. Even for grooming, a common thing for birds to groom other individuals, the Lari does not easily physically touch each other. However, this may be observed in exceptional circumstances, particularly where the individuals have a relationship like a parent and a chick.