Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Codes: Common Name: GBBG Scientific Name: LARMAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176815

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Roof tops, Coastal, sea, Islands, sandy or rocky, Beaches, coastal

Breeding Type:

Colonial, Small colonies, Rarely solitary

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

Buff, olive or brown with brown spots

Number of Eggs:

2 - 3

Incubation Days:

26 - 29

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Grasses, seaweed, moss, feathers, debris, and sticks.

Migration:

Most do not migrate

General

Great Black-backed Gull: The world's largest gull. White head, black upperparts, white underparts, large yellow bill with red spot, variably pale-eyed with red orbital ring, pink legs.

Range and Habitat

Great Black-backed Gull: Northeast North America (and northwestern Europe). Atlantic Coast (expanding southward), Maritimes, Saint Lawrence River and Great Lakes except Lake Superior.

Breeding and Nesting

Great Black-backed Gull: Monogamous; colonial but occasionally solitary. Nest of grasses, seaweed, moss, feathers, debris, and sticks built by both sexes on ground atop small pile of grasses or seaweed, often sheltered in ridges of cliff; two to three buff, olive, or brown eggs with brown spots. Incubation ranges from 26 to 29 days and is carried out by both sexes. Chicks are fed by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Great Black-backed Gull: Pugnacious, predatory and opportunistic. Omnivorous. Eats carrion, fish, refuse, eggs and young of other birds, mollusks, crustaceans, rodents, berries, and insects. Steals food from other birds and scavenges on beaches. May take prey as large as other gulls, cormorants, and rabbits.

Vocalization

Great Black-backed Gull: Deep calls "gowl," or "gawp." Laughlike "hah-hah-hah," or "owk-owk." On breeding grounds low screeching "keeeeeeee-aaaahh."

Similar Species

Great Black-backed Gull: Herring Gull smaller, with much lighter gray wings.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Great Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull: World's largest gull. White head, black upperparts, white underparts, large yellow bill with red spot on lower mandible, pale-eyed with red orbital ring, pink legs, feet. Flight is direct and powerful with deep, slow wing beats. Soars on thermals or updrafts.

● Song: "gowl", "gawp", "hah-hah-hah", "owk-owk", "keeeeeeee-aaaahh"

● Foraging & Feeding: Great Black-backed Gull: Pugnacious, predatory and opportunistic. Omnivorous. Eats carrion, fish, refuse, eggs and young of other birds, mollusks, crustaceans, rodents, berries, and insects. Steals food from other birds and scavenges on beaches. May take prey as large as other gulls, cormorants, and rabbits.

● Breeding & nesting: Great Black-backed Gull: Monogamous; colonial but occasionally solitary. Nest of grasses, seaweed, moss, feathers, debris, and sticks built by both sexes on ground atop small pile of grasses or seaweed, often sheltered in ridges of cliff; two to three buff, olive, or brown eggs with brown spots. Incubation ranges from 26 to 29 days and is carried out by both sexes. Chicks are fed by both parents.

● Similar species: Great Black-backed Gull: Herring Gull smaller, with much lighter gray wings.

Flight Pattern

Lumbering flight.

Great Black-backed Gull Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Great Black-backed Gull: Northeast North America (and northwestern Europe). Atlantic Coast (expanding southward), Maritimes, Saint Lawrence River and Great Lakes except Lake Superior.

^BreedingColonial, Small colonies, Rarely solitary

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMost do not migrate

^Weight64 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America