Belcher's Gull vs Black-tailed Gull

Belcher's Gull

Larus belcheri

Large639 gMarine

Belcher's gull is 48–54 centimetres (19–21 in), with a wingspan of about 120 cm (47 in). The sexes are similar in appearance, and in the breeding season, the adult has a white head, very pale grey neck, and white underparts. The mantle and back are greyish-black, and the tail is white with a broad black subterminal band and a white trailing edge. The wing coverts and primaries are black and the secondaries dark grey with white tips. The eye is black, the bill yellow with a distinctive red and black tip, and the legs and feet yellow.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

Black-tailed Gull

Larus crassirostris

Large561 gCoastal

The black-tailed gull is medium-sized (46 cm or 18.1 in), with a wingspan of 126–128 cm (49.6–50.4 in). It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill. Males and females have identical plumage and features, although males are larger in size than females. This gull takes four years to reach full adult plumage. As the name suggests, it has a black tail. The bird has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name — umineko (海猫, 'sea cat'), and Korean name — gwaeng-yi gull, which means 'cat' gull. In Hachinohe their calls are one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Angie from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Belcher's Gull and Black-tailed Gull.