Scientific name:

Larus argentatus

About:

A large, powerful gull, the typical ‘sea gull’, about 60cm 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>Gulls can be very difficult to tell apart, especially immature birds. The most familiar large gulls, adult herring gulls are silvery grey above with pink legs.</p>

Where:

Widespread. Nests around the coast, on cliff tops, roof tops and islands.

Fantastic facts:

Herring Gulls were once thought to be a common gull right round the northern hemisphere. However, in recent years scientists have realised that there are in fact several very similar, closely related species of ‘herring gull’, including yellow-legged gull