Gull, Armenian

Conservation status:

Winter Visitor

Description:

A large gull. Heavily built with deep bill, long legs, heavy breast and long wing projection. Adult a dark ash-grey with orange yellow legs, usually with dark brownish eyes. Bill has large gonys-spot and variable blackish subterminal band. In winter sparse streaking on hindneck. Adult a shade of dark ash-grey with orange-yellow legs and usually dark brownish eyes; bill with large red gonys-spot and variable blackish subterminal band. In winter sparse streaking on hindneck. In flight, upperwing shows large, squared-off black primary area with small amount of white on tip; underwing dark. Juvenile has grey brown upperparts , but underwing distinctly patterned: larger dark wing-tip area, white in centre of wing with black lines along coverts and axillaries, i.e. more contrasting on underwing than other similar gulls. Older immatures probably extremely difficult to distinguish except by structure and adult characters if developed.