Gulls and terns · Shorebirds
Yellow-legged Gull
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Larus michahellis
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How to recognize it
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52–68 cm
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Yellow legs, bill with a red spot
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Pale grey back, white head and underparts
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Often by coasts, harbours, rubbish tips; call deep, "ha-ha"
About the species
On a walk near the coast, this gull is often busy at the edge of surf, harbors, or rubbish tips. It moves with a firm, watchful manner and gives a loud laugh of a call, deeper and more nasal than a herring gull’s.
It feeds on fish, squid, shellfish, crustaceans, grain, olives, figs, scraps, and small animals. In cities it will forage around waste, and when food is scarce it can take prey as large as rats or pigeons. It also steals catches from smaller gulls and other seabirds.
Its breeding places are usually rocky shores, islands, sea cliffs, and sometimes rooftops near towns and ports. Many stay in the same area through the year, while others move to milder parts of western Europe or farther south for winter.
Where to find
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Along river embankments, harbours, and busy waterfronts — look for Yellow-legged Gull begging near piers or circling low over the water for scraps.
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On rooftops and ledges by the water — the clue is loud laughing calls and restless pacing along the edges.
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Near landfill sites and container yards on the edge of town — it shows up while picking at leftovers and squabbling hard with other gulls.
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At beaches, salt ponds, and lagoon margins — watch for one standing at the waterline or dropping onto mud and shallow water to feed.
