Lesser Black-backed Gull

How to identify

Field marks

1. Adult back and wings black or dark gray
2. Bill yellow with a red spot
3. Legs yellow
4. Head grayish in winter

Male, female and young

Male slightly larger than female on average; juvenile has scaly blackish-brown upperparts and matures in four years.

Voice

“Laughing” calls resembling those of European Herring Gull but distinctly lower in pitch.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April and September–October · Most records: United Kingdom, United States, Spain

Lesser Black-backed Gull has been recorded at 2,153 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 150 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom7,509 records
2. Peace Valley ParkUnited States5,290 records
3. Cape Island – CMP – Coral Ave. dune crossingUnited States5,114 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United KingdomUnited StatesSpainPortugalCanadaIcelandIsraelIreland

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especially along the east coast.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions