Gulls & Terns

Yellow-legged Gull

Mittelmeermöwe

Larus michahellis

Gulls & Terns9 photosFirst seen: 30 August 2026

The Yellow-legged Gull is a large gull centred on the Mediterranean region but now widespread around inland waters and cities in parts of Europe. It is an opportunistic feeder and often nests on cliffs, islands or rooftops.

ID tip: Adults combine yellow legs, a powerful yellow bill with a red spot, a pale grey mantle and extensive black in the wingtips. Immatures require care because several large gulls look similar.

First seen: 30 August 2026 · Nordende des Zürichsees · 9 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Lake Skadar4 September 2026 Nordende des Zürichsees30 August 2026 Ulcinj Salt Flats6 September 2026

Family: Gulls & Terns (Laridae)
Length: 52–58 cm
Wingspan: 120–140 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Switzerland)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 30 August 2026
Habitat: Coasts, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and urban areas
Diet: Fish, invertebrates, eggs, carrion and human food waste

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Selected photographs

Complete photo archiveAll 9 published photographs of this species, including the selected main gallery.Open all 9 photos in the archive →