MigrantWatch -- Species guide

Habitat: Coast; rarely enters inland lakes and rivers.
Size: Larger than domestic duck.
Distribution: Winter visitor across the Indian coasts; also found on large rivers in the north.
Identification: Much larger than the other hooded gulls and has a noticeably stronger and more angularly shaped bill. The tri-coloured bill also distinguishes it from other gulls except for the smaller Sooty (Larus hemprichii), which is more sooty-brown than black, grey and white.