Yellow-Legged Gull

I first saw a yellow-legged gull in the Sado Estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on July 2, 2022 (post on March 30, 2026) while taking a ferry from the Troia Peninsula across the Sado River/Atlantic Ocean to Setubal. It was an immature bird, resting on the water (so that I could not see the legs) and had a black mark on its bill instead of the red mark of a mature bird. 

On our recent trip to Turkey and Greece I saw lots and lots of yellow-legged gulls as we were on a Viking Cruise and spent lots of time on the boat and near the ocean. It may have been the most common bird we saw, except perhaps for the house sparrow. Following are some of my photos from the trip. 

The first one I saw on our trip, near the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. I thought it was a lifer as I'd forgotten about the one I saw in Portugal. 

On the waterfront in Cannakale, Turkey, on the Dardanelles Strait across from the Gallipoli Peninsula. 

On Pamucak Beach near Kusadasi, Turkey. A mature bird and a number of immature birds. 

This immature gull and the next four photos that follow were all taken at Aposelemis Lake on the island of Crete in Greece. 

On the Gulf of Corinth near the old harbor to ancient Corinth.