A red-billed gull with a not-red bill

This is the red-billed gull (Larus novaehollandiae) and if you’re thinking “Hey! That bill doesn’t look very red”, that’s because this is a young bird. The brown-black bill is the giveaway. Note also that the legs are as much brown as red; they also turn red as the bird matures. Red-billed gulls are easy to confuse with another Larus species, Larus bulleri, the black-billed gull, especially because black-billed juveniles have red legs and red bills. How to tell the difference? Red-billed gulls are common around New Zealand’s coasts, while black-billed gulls prefer to be inland, especially on riverbeds. Black-billed gulls can be found at the coast, though, just to confuse matters. If you’re at the beach and you’re wondering if it’s a bunch of red-billed gulls or black-billed gulls trying to steal your chips, it’s most likely red-billed gulls; they’re notorious scavengers, while black-billed gulls aren’t.