Diet

• Omnivorous, feeding on fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, molluscs, earthworms, and small mammals.

• Also eats grains, berries, garbage, carrion, and food scraps, making it highly adaptable.

• Forages along shorelines, mudflats, agricultural fields, parking lots, landfills, and open water.

Range

• Breeds across southern Canada and the northern United States.

• Winters throughout the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

• A common winter visitor to the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is found on beaches, estuaries, coastal lagoons, harbours, reservoirs, and inland lakes.

• Migrates south from August through November and returns north in spring.

Male / Female

• Male: White head and underparts, pale gray back and wings, black wing tips with white spots, yellow bill with a distinct black ring near the tip, and yellow legs. Slightly larger with a heavier bill.

• Female: Nearly identical in plumage but generally smaller and more slender.

• Juveniles: Mottled brown and gray with a pink-and-black bill, gradually acquiring adult plumage over two to three years.

• Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences.

Size

• Length: 46–54 cm (18–21 in)

• Wingspan: 117–124 cm (46–49 in)

• Weight: 400–700 g (14–25 oz)