Pallas's gull

Description:

One of the largest of all gulls, Pallas’s gull (Larus ichthyaetus) has bold plumage, with a particularly distinctive velvety-black ‘hood’ covering the face and throat in the summer. The flight feathers are also mostly white, except for the outer flight feathers which have conspicuous black marks near the tips. The long, slender bill is orange-yellow and the legs are greenish-yellow with orange webs.

Habitat:

The species breeds on barren islands or islets in fresh and saline lakes, on inland seas in warm arid steppe, on rivers and river deltas where ample surface water is available, and on suitable mountain lakes

Notes:

This species is threatened by increasing predation from Larus cachinnans in its breeding range, and by nest predation by mammals