Ring-billed Gulls are the most common inland gull. They're very comfortable around people and are frequently found in parking lots or scavenging for food at landfills.
Gulls are long-winged, white birds with gray and black markings. It can be difficult to tell them apart as they take up to 4 years to develop their adult plumage. In addition, gulls often mate with each other, so there are hybrids with characteristics of two species.
Ring-billed Gulls are a medium-sized bird (17-21 in) with a black ring around the tip of their bill. They spend their summers in Canada and the northern United States. Winters are spent around the Great Lakes and in the southern United States as well as along its coasts.
Could it be? Herring Gulls are larger and have thicker bills without the black ring. California Gulls are slightly larger and have a red spot as well as a black band on their bill.
Did you know? Nesting colonies of Ring-billed Gulls normally include a few two-female couples, both of whom lay a clutch of eggs.
See Also: California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Herring Gull, Mew Gull
