Common Gull

🔍 Overview

A medium-sized gull frequenting Sussex coasts, estuaries, and inland waters—different from the larger black-headed and herring gulls.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Medium (42–45 cm)

Plumage: Slim build, pale grey back

Distinctive Marks: Greenish-yellow legs, dark wingtips

Bill: Yellow with dark tip

Tail: Square

Flight: Light, buoyant glide

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Seen year-round on the Lower Adur SSSI and Goring Gap.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Cheerful, high-pitched “laughing” call. Winters form roost flocks inland.

🍴 Diet

Feeds on worms, insects, fish, scraps, and small molluscs.

📸 Birding Tip

Use binoculars to note leg colour and size—helps distinguish it from herring gulls.