The yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The legs are bright yellow, there is a red ring around the eye – the herring gull has a dark yellow ring – and the bill is yellow with a large red spot. Adults are externally very similar to herring gulls but have yellow legs. They have a grey back, slightly darker than herring gulls but lighter than lesser black-backed gulls. The yellow-legged gull has only recently been recognised as a species in its own right, having previously been considered to be a race of herring gull / caspian gull.
