Learn what every symbol on the card means.Full credits and sources at beakbrain.com/symbols
MarineMedium · 230 g
ID tip
A healthy adult black-billed gull is typically 35–38 cm long, with a wingspan of 81–96 cm, and a weight of around 230g. The head, body, and parts of the wings are white, with silvery grey on the saddle and wings, as well as black edging on the wings. The gull also undergoes some seasonal color change. While typically black from February to June, the orbital ring is orange-red, red, or dark red the rest of the year. The legs, too, change from black to dark red and even bright red as the breeding season progresses, "possibly stimulated by presence of begging chicks and juveniles.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Black-billed Gull
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Black-billed Gull
The map shades 1 country with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
About the Black-billed Gull
The black-billed gull, also called Buller's gull or tarāpuka (Māori), is a Near Threatened species of gull in the family Laridae. This gull is found only in New Zealand, its ancestors having arrived from Australia around 250,000 years ago.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalusThe brown-headed gull is a small gull which breeds in the high plateaus of central Asia from Tajikistan to Ordos in Inner Mongolia.
Andean GullChroicocephalus serranusThe Andean gull is 42 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long and weighs about 480 g (17 oz); it is one of the larger members of its genus.
Hartlaub's GullChroicocephalus hartlaubiiHartlaub's gull is 37–39 cm in length, with a wingspan of 89–92 cm and a weight of 235–340 g.
Side by side: Black-billed Gull vs Hartlaub's Gull · Andean Gull vs Black-billed Gull
Learn the Black-billed Gull in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.