Scientific name: Larus cachinnans Pallas, 1811
Bird group: Gulls and Terns
Field characters. 55-67 cm. Very similar to Herring Gull.Long considered a [l][m]Glossary[/m][r]race[/r]race of this species, but actually Yellow-legged Gull itself comprises of two species: the Yellow-legged Gull (L. michahellis) and Caspian Gull (L. cachinnans). Yellow-legged Gull occurs in the Mediterranean, along the Atlantic coast of NW Africa and SW Europe and in parts of Central Europe (a.o. in Switzerland). Caspian Gull originally bred around the Black Sea and eastward, but recently has expanded north-westward to Germany. Legs flesh-coloured to pale yellow (cachinnans) or bright yellow (michahellis); upperparts pale grey (comparable to Herring Gull; cachinnans) or bluish grey (slightly paler than Common Gull; michahellis); bill long and slender in Caspian Gull, high and bluntly tipped in Yellow-legged Gull. Caspian Gull has a lot of white in the wingtip, especially in the outer primaries (more white than in most Herring Gulls); wingtip of Yellow-legged Gull has a lot of black (more black than in Herring Gull). Caspian Gull often shows strikingly thin tibia and a flat forehead; shape of head in Yellow-legged Gull on the other hand often 'squarish'. With experience, juvenile birds can be recognized by their structure; besides, they often show remarkably pale head and clear black and white tail pattern.
Voice. Voice of Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis very similar to Lesser Black-backed Gull. Caspian Gull has a more guttural voice.
Distribution. Generally replaces Herring Gull in the Mediterranean and Black Sea; in west reaching north to NW France and Belgium.
Habitat. Similar to Herring Gull.
Food. Similar to Herring Gull.