Elegant slim gull with long legs, and narrow wings. Adults have a light grey body with a paler white head. The wings are light gray with black tips, lacking conspicuous white spots. Legs are dark gray and the bill is dark red. Eyes are dark. Juveniles are similar to Lesser Black-backed Gull, with strongly barred underwings and a U-shaped white rump patch and dark tail. In their 1st winter they develop a gray-brown mantle and in their second winter the head is already white; the tail and secondaries have a black band.