Bird name:

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

LBBG

Code 6

LARFUS

ITIS

176821

Breeding Location:

Rocky cliffs, Beaches, coastal

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Rare to uncommon

Egg Color:

Brown or olive to blue green marked with dark brown

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

24 - 27

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Lined with grass and feathers.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Medium-sized gull with dark gray back and wings. Head, neck and underparts are white. Bill is yellow with red spot near tip. Wings have dark tips with white spots; legs and feet are yellow. Eyes are yellow with red orbital rings. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is similar but has gray-streaked head and neck. Juvenile is mostly mottled brown and has brown streaked breast, black terminal band on tail, black bill. Plumage gradually lightens, and by 2nd winter back is gray, breast is mostly white, base of bill is pale, and legs are yellow. 3rd winter resembles winter adult but has black spot near tip of bill.

Range and Habitat

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Eurasian species. Breeds in northern Europe; uncommon but increasingly regular visitor to eastern North America; rarer inland and in the west. Preferred habitats include coastal cliffs, moorlands, and dunes. Spends winters on coasts, estuaries, inland lakes, reservoirs, and rubbish tips.

Breeding and Nesting

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Three brown or olive to blue green eggs marked with dark brown are laid in a ground nest lined with dry lichens, vegetation, and feathers. Incubation ranges from 24 to 27 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Feeds on worms, insects, bird eggs and nestlings, fish, shellfish, small mammals, and carrion; also scavenges at landfills and agricultural lands.

Vocalization

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Makes a loud "kyow" and wide range of other calls, including "yuk-yuk-yuk-yuckle-yuckle" and "hiyak, hiyak, hiyak."

Similar Species

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Herring Gull is paler, larger with shorter legs and thicker bill, and lacks brown mottling on neck and head.

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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.

Underparts

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

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Terminal band

Refers to the contrasting stripe at the tip of the tail.

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