YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
This is the most common gull here on Kefalonia. In appearance, it resembles the herring gull but has less streaking on the head and yellow rather than pink legs. I have to admit that I struggle with identifying gulls and always resort to using the bible (Collins 2nd edition), once I’ve uploaded my photos. To make it more difficult, the yellow legged gull has a different plumage, in each of its first 4 years. I will concentrate on its adult colouring. They are a large gull with a grey back and grey upper wings with black wing tips. A white head, chest and underside, bright yellow legs, and a large yellow bill with a prominent red spot. If you can get close, then you can see a red ring around their eyes.
As with most large gulls, they will eat anything. They will scavenge in rubbish, in fields or on the coast. They are happy to steal from smaller gulls, but they can be predatory and will catch fish and small mammals and reptiles. They prefer to breed in colonies, where 3 eggs are laid between March and May. The nest, which is a sparse mound of vegetation, is found on the ground or cliff edges and is fiercely defended. The eggs are incubated for a month, with the young birds fledging after 5 to 6 weeks.
