Down in the estuary recently was a seemingly lone Tarāpuka | Black-billed gull just standing around in the shallow water. It's extremely similar to the Tarapunga, Red-billed gull: The black-billed gull is more slender than the red-billed gull, with a longer bill.
Tarāpuka | Black-billed gull:
Length: 35 - 38 cm; Weight: 230 g
Similar species: Red-billed Gull | Tarāpunga
A medium-sized white gull with pale grey wings and back, white-tipped black margins to the main flight feathers, white iris, red eye-ring, black legs and a relatively long straight black bill. Non-breeding adults have a bi-coloured bill, reddish at the base with a black tip and a line through the middle.
