Bird of the week: herring gull
About: A very common, large gull along the Fox River. It has gray wings with a white belly and head. In some plumages, birds have light brown heads. Yellow eyes and pink feet help distinguish it from the smaller, similar-looking ring-billed gull. Young birds can be brown or a mixture of brown and gray as they mature.
Where to find this bird: Anywhere along the Fox River. It frequently sits on exposed rocks and concrete structures below Old Oneida Street Bridge.
When to find this bird: Year-round.
Fun fact: Thought to be one species for some time, the herring gull was split into four species this year by Cornell Lab/Clements checklist, though only the American herring gull is found regularly in the U.S. The American Ornithologists’ Union, however, rejected this split.