Appearance:

Dark eyes and dark wedge dividing the facial disks. Bill pale grey, not yellow like Ural Owl. Plumage rather indiscreet, with colour ranging from grey to rufous brown. Body shape characteristic; tubby and barrel-like, with short tail and short rounded wings. Flight with characteristic frequent glides on arched wings.

Sound:

Song a resonant descending "hoooooo". After 2-3 sec. typically followed by a slightly ascending, vibrating "hohohohohoho" and quickly another descending "hooooooo". Complete phrase: "hoooooo, hohohohohoho-hoooooo". May omit parts. Other often heard sounds; a sharp, short, disyllabic "kiu-wik". First syllable ascending then descending, and last ascending in pitch.

Song, contact call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:hehaden, Licence,Link,

Appearance:

Adults: Black back and pinkish legs. Large white windows at tips of primaries, and broad white trailing edge of wing. A very heavy gull with a heavy bill and broad wings. Juveniles with pale head, boldly spotted back and heavier bill than Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull.

Sound:

Can be identified from the low pitch alone. Clearly deeper than Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull.

Call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Jarek Matusiak, Licence,Link.