Glaucous-Winged Gull

A large, pale gull of the Pacific coast, recognisable by its pale grey wingtips that lack the dark markings of many other gulls, often seen loafing on docks, beaches and rocky shorelines or following fishing boats. It forages opportunistically at any time of day, scavenging around harbours and tidelines as well as hunting live prey, and coastal towns and ferry terminals are reliable places to watch it year-round. Numbers build noticeably in winter as birds move down from more northerly breeding areas.