Appearance:

Chocolate-brown hood in adult plumage (seemingly black at a distance), but head only with dark markings in winter and juvenile plumages. Underparts of inner primaries dark grey. First few primaries white with black tip, both on upper side of wing and under. Last character conspicuous in all plumages, but slightly less obvious in juveniles due to larger dark area of wing-tip. Slender-billed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull show similar white first primaries, but differs in long and slender head profile and white underparts of hand respectively.

Sound:

Quite vocal, especially at breeding ground. Distinct, harsh calls. A rasping "kreearr", and shorter, sharp warning calls; "kek".

Contact 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

Appearance:

A very large, long and slender bird. Bigger than Grey Heron. Plumage grey, with contrasting black throat and flight-feathers. White sides of neck. Tertials forms fluffed, ostrich-like rear end. Red crown visible at close range. Easily told from herons in flight by the straight neck. Juveniles with rufous head, lacking the marked pattern of adults.

Sound:

Powerful, resonant and bugling "kriiiiioooo" in various forms. Very far reaching. Often heard in duet where the female immediately answers the male call at a slightly deeper pitch. Also very vocal when flocks meet.

Call, male/female:

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-sound:Piotr Szczypinski, Licence,Link.