Black-tailed Gull

The black-tailed gull is a medium-sized gull of about 46cm with a wingspan of 126–128cm, native to the shorelines of East Asia. It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill, and as the name says, a black tail. The sexes have identical plumage though males are larger, and it takes four years to reach full adult plumage (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is a colonial nester, with colonies forming in mid-April and two or three eggs laid by early June. Its cat-like call gives its Japanese name, umineko ('sea cat'), and its Korean name. It is common in Japan, nesting from Hokkaido to western Kyushu, and for over 700 years has enjoyed reverence, feeding and protection from the local population in places (Wikipedia, general species account).