Silver Gull

The silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (Larus pacificus), which also lives in Australia. The silver gull should not be confused with the herring gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, Dutch zilvermeeuw), but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range. The head, body, and tail are white. The wings are light grey with white-spotted, black tips. Adults range from 40–45 cm (15-17 Inches) in length. Mean wingspan is 94 cm (37 Inches) . Juveniles have brown patterns on their wings, and a dark beak. Adults have bright red beaks—the brighter the red, the older the bird.