Yellow-legged Gull
UK birdwatchers have known for years that the Herring Gulls they see in southern Europe have yellow rather than flesh-coloured legs. However, the Yellow-legged Gull has only been recognised as a species in its own right since 2007, having previously been considered to be a race of Herring Gull.
The adult Yellow-legged Gull has a darker grey back and wings than the Herring Gull but it is paler than the Lesser Black-backed Gull. It also has more black in the wing tips than the Herring Gull and smaller white “mirrors”. The legs are bright yellow, there is a red ring around the eye and the bill is yellow with a large red spot.
The Yellow-legged Gull is a common bird in southern Europe and north Africa on reservoirs, on rubbish tips, in fields, on coastal marshes and in large evening gull roosts on reservoirs and lakes. A northward spread from the Mediterranean and an increased awareness among UK birdwatchers of how to identify the Yellow-legged Gull means it is now also a regular sight in many parts of southern UK.
Date: 8th November 2009
Location: Roses, Catalunya, Spain
The adult Yellow-legged Gull has a darker grey back and wings than the Herring Gull but it is paler than the Lesser Black-backed Gull. It also has more black in the wing tips than the Herring Gull and smaller white “mirrors”. The legs are bright yellow, there is a red ring around the eye and the bill is yellow with a large red spot.
The Yellow-legged Gull is a common bird in southern Europe and north Africa on reservoirs, on rubbish tips, in fields, on coastal marshes and in large evening gull roosts on reservoirs and lakes. A northward spread from the Mediterranean and an increased awareness among UK birdwatchers of how to identify the Yellow-legged Gull means it is now also a regular sight in many parts of southern UK.
Date: 8th November 2009
Location: Roses, Catalunya, Spain
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Also in: Catalunya
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