allas's Gull

Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

No crest

Widespread winter visitor. Larger than Caspian and Heuglin's. Head is more angular. with gently sloping forehead, and crown peaks behind eye; bill is longer and strikingly dark-tipped (except in juvenile). with bulging gonys. Eyes always dark. Adult breeding hes black hood with bold white eye-crescents, and yellow bill with red tip and black subterminal band. White tips to primaries contrast with black subterminal marks, and white wedge-shaped patch on outer wing contrasts with pale grey coverts. Adult non-breeding has largely white head with variable black mask (and white eye-crescents). Juvenile has brown mantle and scapulars with pale fringes, resulting in scaly pattern. From juvenile Caspian by combination of structural features, more pronounced dark mottling on hind neck and sides of breast contrasting with whitish underbody, paler bar across greeter coverts, end more clearly defined black tail - bar; dark mask is usually more pronounced. First-winter/first-summer hes grey mantle and scapulars (unlike in Caspian). From second-winter Caspian by dark mask end streaking across hind crown (as adult non-breeding), more pronounced brown mottling on hind neck and sides of breast, and clear-cut dark tail-band. May acquire partial hood in first summer. Second - winter has largely grey upperwing, with dark lesser-covert bar and extensive black on primaries and primary coverts. Third-winter as adult non-breeding, but with more black on primaries. Formerly placed in larus. Coasts, lakes and large rivers.