Adults have white feathers, grey, black tipped wings, and their beak and claws are yellow. It takes the chicks at least three years before they have the same colours and feathers as the adults, because they go through various stages of striped brownish feathers and dark coloured beak and claws first. They make their nests in colonies on all the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, and usually lay from 2 to 3 eggs: The shell is a light brown or greenish colour with dark brown marks.

The adults sit on the eggs for about 25-27 days, and once they hatch, the chicks are able to fly about 40 days later. An adult can live from 10 to 15 years. They are omnivorous, and eat both dead and alive animals, plants and vegetables, rubbish and leftovers. They also eat other birds' eggs and even other species of birds.

The number of pairs in the Archipelago is about 15-16.00 more or less all year round.