Sabine's Gull
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Xema sabini
Rare & annual coastal migrants with 100-150 in Britain, rarely up to 600 per year.
Rarely turning up inland.
Breeds in the High Arctic.
Breeding Adults have a pale grey back and wing coverts, four black outer primary flight feathers, and white inner primaries and secondaries.
The white tail is slightly forked.
The Adult's hood darkens during breeding season to dark grey with a narrow black collar at the base of the hood.
Juveniles have a similar tricoloured wing pattern, but the grey is replaced by brown, and the tail has a black terminal band & takes 2 years to attain full Adult plumage.
In Winter, they lose the grey hood & have white head.
They have a very high-pitched and squeaking call.