- Lifespan
- 10–15 years in the wild, with some individuals recorded living over 20 years
- Size & Weight
- 36–44 cm, wingspan 110–130 cm; 300–500 g
- Habitat
- Coastal areas, inland lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries; increasingly common in urban and suburban environments.
- UK Distribution
- Resident throughout the UK with populations supplemented by migratory birds from northern Europe in winter. Breeds mainly in northern Scotland, particularly the Hebrides and Orkney, with smaller numbers elsewhere.
- Diet
- Opportunistic omnivore feeding on fish, crustaceans, molluscs, insects, and scavenged human food waste; also eats small mammals and bird eggs.
- Prey
- Fish (especially sand eels and small flatfish), crustaceans, earthworms, and insects
- Predators
- Great Black-backed Gulls, foxes, and occasionally stoats; eggs and chicks vulnerable to crows, ravens, and skuas
- Mating Season
- March to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 2–3 eggs, incubation period 23–26 days, fledging at 30–35 days; typically one brood per year
- Behaviour
- Highly social and gregarious, often seen in large flocks, especially at roosting sites. Versatile and adaptable, readily exploiting urban food sources and increasingly nesting away from traditional coastal colonies. Often observed following fishing boats and loitering around rubbish tips.