COMMON GULL

Beginner birders quickly learn to ID the Black-headed Gull, which turns up in any and every environment, and the Herring Gull and its close relative the Lesser Black-backed are also familiar to many from seaside holidays. But in-between, size-wise, is this subtle species. As well as being smaller than a Herring Gull, it’s daintier all-round, with a narrower yellow bill and a more rounded head. Look for it on ploughed fields, sometimes in company with other gull species – it’s far less likely than the others mentioned to turn up in urban environments.