Great black-backed gull
| Great Black-backed Gull | |
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| File:Larus marinus UK.jpg | |
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| Species: | L. marinus
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| Binomial name | |
| Larus marinus | |
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| Distribution across the Northern Hemisphere | |
The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic. It is fairly sedentary, but some Great Black-backed Gulls move further south or inland to large lakes or reservoirs.
This is the largest gull, much bigger than a Herring Gull and is often described as the King of Gulls.[citation needed] It is 61-74 cm long with a 1.4-1.7 m wingspan, the large adult males often weighing in at more than two kilogrammes. It is bulky, and has a powerful bill. The adults have black wings and back, with conspicuous white "mirrors" at the wing tips. The legs are pinkish, and the bill yellow with a red spot.
Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts, and a neat wing pattern. They take at least four years to reach maturity, development in this species being somewhat slower than that of other large gulls. The call is a deep "laughing" cry.
Unlike most Larus gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls are mostly carnivorous and frequently hunt and kill any prey smaller than themselves, behaving more like a raptor than a typical larid gull, though they will also scavenge. They frequently rob other seabirds of their catch. They can swallow a puffin or a small wild duck whole.
This species breeds singly or in small colonies, making a lined nest on the ground often on top of a rocky stack. 3-5 eggs are laid.
Gallery
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Great Black-backed Gull attacking a Coot -
Great Black-backed Gulls displaying -
Juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls
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Great Black-backed Gull nest and eggs
References
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
- Seabirds by Peter Harrison, ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 3, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6
- Malling Olsen, Klaus and Hans Larsson, Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America ISBN 0-7136-7087-8
