DISTINGUISHING
MARKS
27” (69 cm). This large gull
closely resembles the Western Gull, but the adult has
yellow (not pinkish) feet. It matures in its third year,
not the fourth, as the Western Gull does. The brown
juvenile bird has a whitish belly and by the first
winter already has some black on the back. The yellow
feet are attained by the second winter.
The Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens, is a large
gull, closely related to the Western Gull and thought to
be a subspecies until the 1960s.Adults are similar in
appearance to the Western Gull, with a white head, dark,
slate-colored back and wings, and a thick yellow bill.
Its legs are yellow, though first winter birds do
display pink legs like those of the Western Gull.
