The head, neck and underparts are white while the upper body is grey. The wings are grey with black tips. Adult birds have bright orange-red eye-rings, legs and bill. Juveniles have speckled wings and black legs.
Fifty years ago, the Silver Gull was considered to be uncommon, but it has benefitted from human waste and rubbish dumps. They have become scavengers and their populations have exploded. They have nested in huge colonies at Mud Islands, often outcompeting terns and other seabirds. Normally feed on worms, fish, insects and crustaceans but have become scavengers around human habitation. |