The Caspian Gull - hidden in plain sight!
For many years there has been fierce debate about the taxonomic status of the Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans. The Caspian gull used to be treated as a subspecies of the herring gull Larus argentatus, but it is now treated as a full species by most authorities (e.g. the British Ornithologists' Union). Some authorities include the yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis) within L. cachinnans, but it is also now most commonly considered to be a separate species.
The Caspian gull breeds around the Black and Caspian Seas, extending eastwards across Central Asia to north-west China. In Europe, it has been spreading north and westwards in recent decades. Small numbers are regularly observed in Britain, especially in South-east England, East Anglia, and the Midlands. Individuals are reported at inland rubbish tips and gull roosts, but are perhaps under-recorded due to limited awareness of identification criteria.
A large gull, reminiscent of Herring Gull but with a long, slender bill, accentuated by the sloping forehead. The legs, wings and neck are longer than those of the Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull . The eye is small and often dark, the legs vary from pale pink to a pale yellowish (straw coloured). The first individual I managed to pick out was among a group of herring gulls near Cromer pier in north Norfolk.
