Identification - 37 cm (14.5 in.). A white
gull with pale grey wings and black wing tips. The bill and legs
are black. Juveniles have brownish-black tips to wing feathers.
Similar species - Adult Black-billed gull
could be confused with juvenile Red-billed, but Red-billed has mainly
black wing tips and bill is more robust.
Range - Inland waters of the South Island
and around lake Rotorua. Also a few coastal colonies. Many birds
move coastwards in the winter.
Status - Common.
Where to see - Around Lake Rotorua and the
inland lakes of the South Island.
Notes - An endemic species. A much more
inland species than the Red-billed Gull. Will take handouts but
seldom scavenges.
This page's expert editor: Brian
Parkinson, author of Fieldguide to New Zealand Seabirds.
