A mid-sized, three-year gull. Alternate Adult has yellow bill with black ring at the tip, yellow legs, pale eye, very pale gray back, black wingtips, white tail, and white head and underparts. Basic Adult has limited brown streaking on nape. Second-cycle birds have black-tipped tail and smudgier ring on bill. First-cycle birds are heavily patterned with brown over pale gray back, with dark brown wing coverts, black wingtips, black-tipped tail, brown-barred flanks and neck, smudgy brown markings on head, dark eye, and pink bill with black tip. Juveniles show more white in their plumage than most other hatch-year gulls. They are highly patterned above, spangled brown and gray on back, wing coverts, breast, neck and head, white on the belly and undertail, barred with brown on the flanks and undertail, with all-dark bill and black wingtips. In flight, note limited black wingtips on adults. Compare especially California and Mew Gulls.

Length: 44 (cm) Wingspan: 122 (cm)

Voice:

High, squealing, scratchy, and thin whistled notes.

Habitat:

Coastal areas, estuaries, wet fields, reservoirs, urban areas, landfills, fast food parking lots.

Behavior:

Forms flocks, often with other gulls. Breeds colonially. Nest is a loose cup of vegetation on ground.

Feeding:

Forages on ground, picking up a variety of prey. Eats a variety of insects, worms, and other small organisms, also trash and discarded human food.