A stocky, medium-sized, four-year gull. Relatively long yellow legs and long, straight-edged, yellow bill with black ring and red tip. Dark eye. Adult: White underparts; slaty-black upperparts. Nonbreeding are dark-hooded with white eye arks. White head in breeding plumage contrasts with smoky-gray wash on collar and chest. Wings all dark above. Ashy-gray underwings blend with whiter base. Secondaries have white trailing edge. Broad black tail-band bordered by narrow white stripe. Black-tailed Gull is smaller than Belcher's, with shorter legs, a paler mantle, and wider white tip of tail. Third-cycle: Similar to adult; brownish wash on wings. Second-cycle: Breeding plumage similar to adult but with browner wings and dark chest; nonbreeding suggests first-cycle, but more uniform above. Juvenile/ First-cycle: Mostly brown upperparts; dark head and chest with white belly. Drab pinkish-yellow legs. First-cycle Black-tailed Gull is browner with pink legs and pink, black-tipped bill.

Length: 51 (cm) Wingspan: 124 (cm)

Habitat:

Found near the coast at harbors, along rocky coasts, or sandy beaches.

Behavior:

Colonies nest on inshore islands. Found in fairly small flocks elsewhere. Feeds by scavenging on beaches or on water's surface; may steal food or associate with flocks of seabirds.

Feeding:

Feeds on fish, seabird chicks and eggs, clams, and virtually anything it can scavenge or steal.