BIRD 5
Yet another pale grey-backed gull in the Herring Gull mould? Look again, and you will notice that the bill is much too small for one of those brutes or its closest relatives. That bill is short and narrow and yellow with a black band. This bill and those pale greeny-yellow legs narrow it down to a Common Gull or a Ring-billed Gull. The latter gets its name from the black band through the bill (like here). But it is also a feature of Common. So, bill-wise it comes down to a judgment of how thin or thick the bill appears (Common has a thinner bill). Luckily, there is help in the form of eye colour. Ring-billed has a pale iris. This dark-eyed bird is an adult winter Common Gull.
KEY FEATURES
Typical pale grey backed and winged gull
Short, narrow yellow bill with black band
Pale green or yellow legs
Dark eye