English: Mongolian Gull  

Russian: Хохотунья

Mongolian: Үхэр цахлай

German: Mongolische Weisskopfmowe

French: Goeland pontique de Mongolie

Body length: 54-60 cm.
Wing span: 123-148 cm.

A widespread and common species of N Europe. Frequently abundant on and near coasts, but seen inland, too, feeding on fields, rubbish dumps, etc. Roosts on harbour piers or secluded islands; flights to these at height, often in formation. Frequently soars high up in high-pressure weather, often in large parties. Nests, mainly colonially but at times in single pairs, on coasted islands, cliffs or at lakes. Omnivorous, taking fish, crustaceans, earthworms, offal and roadkill, eggs and young of other birds, etc.

Identification: Four age-groups. Told from all other common gulls by large size and pale grey upperparts (cf.  smaller Common Gull), but see very similar Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls for differences from these. Important to note shape also; compared to both Yellow-legged and Caspian, Herring has not quite as long and pointed wings, easiest to see on a standing bird which shows only moderate primary projection and a rather compact and ‘bulky’ look. Plumage development and ageing can be worked out from the plate, but keep in mind the individual variation. Thus, grey on upperparts develops only from 2nd winter onwards, so ‘all-brown’ 1 years are more difficult to tell from Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls. Head of adult white in summer, boldly streaked grey-brown in autumn. Bill colour develops from dark with variable pale base on juvenile/1st winter to yellow with orange-red spot on adult; iris from dark brown of juvenile to pale yellow (with yellow or orange-red orbital ring) of adult, eye looking invariably pale at a distance. Legs pink at all ages (but see below).

• Variation: Birds of W Europe and Iceland are relatively small and round-headed, have back pale grey and wing-tip with relatively much black and more limited white. Breeds in Scandinavia and around the around the Baltic, wintering partly in W Europe, average larger, slightly darker grey on back, extremes having little black and much white on wing-tip; birds of E Baltic and N Fenno-Scandia like argentatus, but locally some or most have legs yellowish or yellow. Inviting confusion with Yellow-legged or Caspian Gulls. Still, ‘omissus’ usually told by typical compact ‘Herring Gull shape’, pale eye, extensive white tips to exposed primaries, and in autumn-early winter densely streaked hood.