For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Little Gulls
Scientific name: Larus minutus
Size: Up to 28cm
Distribution: Found throughout the UK
Months seen: July to April
Habitat: Coastal areas
Food: Insects
Special features: Little gulls visit the UK in late summer and autumn, and leave in late spring. They are agile birds resembling terns in their movements.
In summer Little Gulls have a black head and in winter this black plumage moults leaving just a grey patch on top of the head and the cheeks. The beak is dark grey all year round and the legs are red in summer, becoming more pale (pinkish) in winter. Juvenile Little gulls have a black mark on the upper surfaces of the wings which form a 'W' when viewed from above
In flight adult little gulls show a pale grey upperwing, with no black wingtips, and a dark grey underwing.
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