Scientific name: Larus genei Breme, 1839
Bird group: Gulls and Terns
Field characters. 42 cm. A slender gull with a long, coral-red bill and erect stance with long neck and down-tilted head with flat forehead; no dark hood in summer plumage. Plumage white with pinkish wash on lower chest and belly; back and wing pale blue-grey. Legs are bright blood-red. Wing-pattern in flight similar to that of Black-headed Gull. Juvenile plumage rapidly lost; first winter generally resembles adult, but with greyish marks on ear-coverts and crown, grey-brown upperparts, and black terminal bar on tail; bill and legs paler than in adult.
Voice. As Black-headed Gull, but mellower, deeper and somewhat nasal.
Distribution. A rather rare breeding bird for most of the region, but locally common near the Black Sea; mainly resident, but makes limited south- and westbound movements.
Habitat. Breeds on sheltered lowland shores and off-coast islands, often in association with terns. Prefers shallow tidal waters of land-locked seas or estuaries; outside breeding season largely coastal.
Food. Predominantly fish and small crustaceans, caught by up-ending or surface-plunging; also insects and earthworms, especially during the breeding season.