The world’s biggest gull is a heavy black and white bird with a massive beak and a white head. Great black- backed gull The same size as the herring gull but with a much darker back and yellow legs. It is mainly white, but with black and white wingtips. Lesser black-backed gull This is the typical seaside gull. Look for its pink legs and the red spot on its yellow beak. Herring gull Mediterranean gull This bird used to be a rare sight here in the summer; now there are over 100 breeding pairs. Look for its white wingtips and eyelids. Large, active and noisy, mainly white bird with a spiky crest and a long, sharp black beak. Sandwich tern Spoonbill This small, slim gull only has its dark brown “black head” from spring to summer; in winter it just has a dark ear spot. Look for its red beak and legs. Black headed gull Watch this small silvery tern hovering over the water before it plunges in for fish. Common tern Look for this large, black diving bird swimming very low in the water with its head and long, hooked bill pointing up, or standing with its wings spread out to dry. Cormorant Grey heron Watch this lanky bird wading stealthily through the water on fishing missions. Its name is the clue! Like a white heron. Watch out for it flying with its neck outstretched and the unmistakable long, broad tipped beak. Watch this duck push its huge, spade-like bill through the water to sieve out food. Shoveler When this pretty egret bred here in 1996, it was a first for Britain– now they are widespread. Look for its striking head plumes and bright yellow feet. Little egret Their long necks help these stunning ducks reach deeper when they up-end to feed on plants in the water. Pintail Look for this big, striking duck feeding on the grass or in shallow water. Shelduck Mallard The big duck that most of us know, look for the mallard’s bright orange legs and small blue patch on the wing. Very big, streaky cream and brown bird of prey, with short, round head, round tail, long, broad wings; soars with wings slightly uptilted. In the 1950s Poole Harbour had around 50% of the UK’s breeding marsh harriers; today we mostly see them in winter. Look for it gliding low with its wings in a shallow “V” . Marsh harrier In the mid 1990s Poole Harbour barely hosted 500 of these ducks; now there are well over 5,000. Their round heads and small beaks should help you to recognise them. Wigeon This is the smallest duck to feed on the surface. It looks dark with a slim grey beak but in good light look for the male’s colourful head. Teal This very large, broad- winged, short-tailed bird of prey calls here to feed during its migration. Look for it over the water and diving for fish. Osprey Buzzard What to look out for WINTER WINTER ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR WINTER WINTER WINTER WINTER SUMMER SUMMER ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ON MIGRATION ON MIGRATION ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR ALL YEAR WINTER WINTER ALL YEAR ALL YEAR SUMMER SUMMER The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654. ARN-0829-11-12 ARN-0829-11-12_Arne ID (S)_Layout 1 27/02/2012 10:57 Page 1