Laughing gull

This species is 36–41 cm long with a 98–110 cm wingspan. The summer adult's body is white apart from the dark grey back and wings and black head. Its wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size and they have black tips. The beak is long and red. The black hood is mostly lost in winter.

Laughing gulls take three years to reach adult plumage. Immature birds are always darker. First-year birds are greyer below and have pale heads, and second-years can be distinguished by the wing pattern and structure.