Scientific name:

Larus canus

About:

A medium-sized gull, about 45cm long. Silvery grey above and white below, with a white head (streaky during the winter) and black wing tips with white spots.

How to identify:

<p>Best told by the combination of size (larger than black-headed gull and smaller than herring gull), greenish legs, yellow bill and white head. <strong></strong></p>

Where:

Nests on marshland and around lakes in the north of England and Scotland. Non-breeding birds are widespread. Found on farmland, wetlands and around the coast.

Fantastic facts:

Despite the name, this is one of the scarcer gulls, much less common than black-headed or herring Gull.