Saunders's Gull vs Swallow-tailed Gull

Saunders's Gull

Saundersilarus saundersi

Medium198 gCoastal

This is a very small species of gull with a length of just 33 cm (13 in) and, among gulls, only the little gull is smaller. Adults have a black hood and nape during the breeding season. It is very pale with a white body and tail, pale grey wings. Non-breeding birds have a mottled grey hood and nape, and white-tipped wings with black markings on the primaries. Immatures are distinguished by having a narrow black tail band and some dark mottling on the upperwing. The legs are dark red-brown, and the short bill is black; the body is squat.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kim, Hyun-tae · CC BY 4.0

Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus

Large687 gMarine

The swallow-tailed gull has no structural or plumage differences between the male and female. In the breeding season, the adult has a black plumaged head and a bright red fleshy rim around each eye. Outside the breeding season, the head is white and the eye rim becomes black. It has a grayish upper breast, gray mantle, and black wingtips. The mostly black bill has a contrasting white tip. Voice: Calls and displays are quite different from other gulls, most resembling the vocalisations of the black-legged kittiwake and Sabine's gull. The loudest and most commonly heard call is an alarm referred to as "rattle-and-whistle", a gurgling scream made with the head moving side to side. This call is contagious, with other birds joining in without seeing the cause.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: suecan1 · CC BY 2.0

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