White-headed in summer but streaked in autumn and winter, with a pale grey back and black and white wingtips; pale pink legs; northern birds are bigger and darker-backed but with less black in the wing.

Herring Gulls as seen in summer beside the sea in Britain and most of north-western Europe are big, bold, noisy birds. In seafront towns they wake people at an unearthly hour with their calls, frighten children by swooping down to steal their sandwiches, and make a mess over buildings, statues, and parked cars. Yet on sea cliffs these dramatic birds add immeasurably to the coastal atmosphere with their strident calls and mastery of flight. In winter hundreds roost on reservoirs far inland.