Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull is the commonest gull on the New Zealand coast. Except for a colony at Lake Rotorua, it rarely is found inland. It is commonly seen in coastal towns, garbage dumps and at fish processing facilities. Immature adults are often confused with the closely related black-billed gull. Recently the largest colonies in different parts of New Zealand have exhibited a marked decline in numbers (i.e. Kaikoura, Three Kings and Mokohinau Island). The bird tends to nest at the same locality from one season to the next, and offspring mostly return to their natal colony to breed.