Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) is a medium pale gull with pink legs and pale grey or whitish wingtips lacking the bold black of many gulls. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds on Arctic cliffs and moves south to coasts and harbours, feeding on fish, invertebrates, carrion and scraps. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).