Kelp gulls or Cape gulls?

The large, black-backed and black-winged kelp gulls live all along the southern African coast, also in South America, Australia, New Zealand and many southern hemisphere islands. White fronts, yellow bills and dark eyes are more conspicuous than the scarlet patch on the lower jaw.

Scientifically the kelp gull is known as Larus dominicanus. There are five subspecies worldwide; the southern African one is known as L. dominicanus subsp. vetula, sometimes called the Cape gull.

These birds like estuaries, beaches, off-shore waters and rubbish dumps where foraging yield almost anything edible: offal, fish, sandmussels, insects, limpets, birds’ eggs and birds’ young. They scavenge and attack small prey, even bite through the skin of right whales to feed!

Up to three eggs are laid in coastal ground nests, grassed or feathered and serviced by both parents. Egg colour variations are notable, from pale olive, green, turquoise to ochre brown and spotted or blotched (Maclean, 1993; Wikipedia).