Herring Gull

The Herring Gull is a large, strong bird with pale grey feathers on its back, pink legs, and a yellow beak that has a noticeable red spot on the lower part. Adult birds have white heads and underparts, with black wing tips that have white spots. In winter, the head becomes streaked with brown. Young birds are mottled brown and take four years to develop adult feathers. The bird makes a loud, laughing call that is well known along coastlines. The Herring Gull is common around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. It is also found inland at reservoirs and lakes, and increasingly in towns and cities where it nests on rooftops. This bird is very adaptable and can live in many places, including coastal cliffs, beaches, estuaries, and harbours. It eats fish, small sea creatures, rubbish, and will scavenge aggressively. Despite the growth of urban areas, the overall number of Herring Gulls has gone down in recent years.