- Length
- 55–67 cm
- Wingspan
- 130–158 cm
- Weight
- 1,000–1,150 g
Presence in the Strait
Abundant resident on coasts and wetlands (>7,599 pairs). Species expanding, which until the ‘70s only bred in two large colonies in the Strait: Gibraltar and Tajo de Barbate (the former was formed at the beginning of the 20th Century), and later it bred in towns and at reservoirs. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of Larus argentatus in the Mediterranean.
Identification
The commonest gull in the area. Steel-grey mantle in adults, yellow legs, yellow bill with a red spot, red eye ring, and white head and underparts. Juveniles are brownish-grey and streaked below with a black bill; first-winter birds have a greyer back and pale brownish underparts; second-year birds have whiter underparts. Adult plumage appears at three years.
Movements
Sedentary with post-breeding dispersal that does not usually exceed 200 Km.
Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.