| Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Larus marinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Great Black-backed Gull French name: Goéland marin Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Size: Body size: 64 to 78 cm; Wingspan: 150 to 170 cm; Weight: 1150 to 2200 g. Habitat: Rocky coastal areas, but also , more exceptionally, in inland areas near garbage dumps and lakes or ponds. You can often observe it on sand beaches. Food: Other birds represent an important part of its food. This is a predator for Atlantic Puffins and Manx Shearwaters. It also feeds on fish and carrions. Nesting: Great Black-backed Gulls do not gather in large colonies for nesting like Herring Gulls. The nests are build on the top of a big rock or on the top of a small hill, on an island or sometimes on the coast. This is a rather large heap of seaweeds or other plants. Females lay 3 eggs in April. Migration: Great Black-backed Gulls move on short distance in winter and never fly very far from their breeding area. Geographic area: Europe, northern and temperate Asia, North America. |
The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest of the European Gulls. It is characterized by almost black back and wings. The head, the chest, the underside parts and the tail are white. There is a thin white border on the fore and hind edges of the wings, and a thin black stripe at the tip of the tail. The web-toed legs are pinkish. The bill is yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible. There is a possible confusion with the Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus). However, this last one is clearly a smaller size (same size that the Herring Gull). It also has yellow legs. It has a slenderer general shape and the bill is thinner. |
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I have based the identification of this Great Black-backed Gull on its general colour of course, but also on its large size and on its pinkish legs. |
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I have only observed a low density of Great Black-backed Gulls during my stay in Côtes d'Armor in August 2009 I have never seen more than two at the same time. Herring Gulls were much more numerous. |
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You can clearly see here the difference of size between a Great Black-backed Gull and a Herring Gull. |
André Bon October 2010