Caspian Gull

The Caspian Gull is a large, pale gull with a long, slim bill and a leaner look than many familiar gulls. In flight and on the water, it often seems lighter and more streamlined.

It keeps to noisy colonies, and alarm spreads quickly through the group. Its call is a sharp, laughing cry that drops low at the end, and feeding gatherings around fish are often full of squabbles.

It breeds by seas, on islands, and along lakes and big rivers, especially where there are sandy shores and open steppe waters. Fish make up most of its diet, but it also takes other available food, and in some southern areas it stays year-round.