A medium-sized, dark, red-billed, three-year gull of the Pacific. Alternate Adult is unmistakable, crisp sooty-gray overall, with clean gray underparts and neck, dark gray wings and back, black legs, white head, and thin red bill. In flight, the black primaries and secondaries contrast with the gray coverts; inner two-thirds of the wings show a narrow white border along the trailing edge. All-dark tail has a white terminal band. Basic Adult has dusky streaking on head and a black tip on its red bill. Second-cycle birds are entirely dark brownish-gray with black wingtips, white tips on the secondaries and tertials, and a red bill with black tip. First-cycle birds are chocolate brown overall, lacking strong patterning, with black wingtips and flesh-colored bill with a black tip. Juveniles similar to first-cycle, but show buffy edges to wing covert feathers and the basal two-thirds of the bill is yellowish.

Length: 48 (cm) Wingspan: 130 (cm)

Voice:

Somewhat nasal we-yee or eeow.

Habitat:

Coastal areas.

Behavior:

Often forms flocks with other gulls. Nest is a platform of vegetation on ground or rocky ledge.

Feeding:

Eats fish and other small aquatic organisms, taken from water or shoreline. Sometimes pirates food from smaller birds.