Grey Gull vs Lava Gull

Grey Gull

Leucophaeus modestus

Medium380 gDesert

The sexes are similar in grey gulls. Adults grow to a length of about 45 cm (18 in) and weigh some 360 to 400 g (13 to 14 oz). The head is white in summer but brownish-grey in winter. The body and wings are grey with the dorsal surface rather darker than the ventral region. The flight feathers are black and the inner primaries and the secondaries have white tips, visible in flight. The tail has a band of black with a white trailing edge. The legs and beak are black and the iris is brown. The call is similar to that of the laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0

Lava Gull

Leucophaeus fuliginosus

Medium380 gCoastal

The lava gull is a distinctive gull, 51 to 55 cm (20–22 in) and weighs 380 g (13 oz). The adult plumage consists of a sooty brown to black head, which unlike other dark hooded gulls doesn't vary by season. The wings are dark gray with a contrasting white line on the leading edge, thought to play a function in displays and camouflage. Its dark gray body contrasts with a paler gray belly. The uppertail is white and grey lower down. The bill and legs are black, and the inside of the mouth is scarlet. It has white upper and lower eyebrows, with red lids. Immature gulls are generally dark brown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zygy · CC0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey Gull and Lava Gull.