Where do Lesser Black-backed Gulls live?

What time of year can you see black-backed gulls?

You can see lesser black-backed gulls all year round. UK breeding sites are left in July and August and birds start to return as early as December. Large numbers of Scandinavian birds, which are darker than UK breeding birds, start to arrive in October.

How to identify a lesser black-backed gull?

Subspecies identification of Lesser Black-backed Gulls away from each subspecies’ breeding range can be difficult or impossible. A large but slim, long-winged gull. Young immatures like this 1st-winter bird are pale-headed, crisply checkered dark and white, and usually show a fully black bill through the first winter.

Where do black backed gulls live in the world?

The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. It is a regular winter visitor to the east coast of North America, probably from the breeding population in Iceland.

Why do black-headed gulls visit gardens in winter?

Gardens seem to become more important for black-headed gulls during the coldest winter months of January and February because food is harder to find. However, BTO Garden BirdWatch results show that they are increasingly visiting throughout the year.

When can you see lesser black-backed gulls?

You can see lesser black-backed gulls all year round. UK breeding sites are left in July and August and birds start to return as early as December. Large numbers of Scandinavian birds, which are darker than UK breeding birds, start to arrive in October. Video footage of the lesser black-backed gull.

Where do great black backed gulls live?

Great Black-backed Gulls live along the Atlantic Coast and inland on the Great Lakes. They choose isolated, predator-free sites such as piers or islands for breeding, and then disperse away from the colony for the rest of the year to feed at sea, along coasts, and at landfills.

What does a great grey gull look like in winter?

Smaller than most gulls in the UK. Adults have pale grey upperparts and dark reddish legs and bill. In summer the head is dark brown (not actually black!). In flight, look for a distinctive white leading edge to the wing, visible at some distance. In winter the head is mostly white, with dark smudges on the ears and above the eyes.

What does a gull bird look like in the winter?

A large but slim, long-winged gull. Young immatures like this 1st-winter bird are pale-headed, crisply checkered dark and white, and usually show a fully black bill through the first winter. The brown, black, and white plumage is relatively cold-toned.

How can you tell the difference between grey and black backed gulls?

Gulls can be very difficult to tell apart, especially immature birds. Adult lesser-black backed gulls are dark grey above and white below, with a white head (streaky during the winter) and black wingtips with white spots. They have yellowy-orange legs.

What does a gull look like with a red spot?

A large, dark-backed gull with long wings and yellow legs. Adults show a large red spot on the bill and moderate contrast between the dark gray back and black primaries. In late summer and fall, adults molt their wing feathers—the worn tips to the old, unreplaced outer primaries are visible here.

What is the bill size of a great black backed gull?

The great black-backed gull is bulky and imposing in appearance with a large, powerful bill. The standard measurements are: the bill is 5.4 to 7.25 cm ( 2 1⁄2 in). Adult Larus marinus with fish, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, United States.

What happened to the great black-backed gull?

The Great Black-backed Gull is one of many bird species whose feathers were used for fashionable clothing in the 1800s. After the demise of the feather trade in the early 1900s, Great Black-backed Gull populations increased and spread farther south. Garbage dumps and other sources of human refuse have contributed to their range expansion.

What birds prey on great black-backed gulls?

The bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ), white-tailed eagle ( H. albicilla) and golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) are the only birds known to habitually predate healthy, fully grown great black-backed gulls.

Why is the black-headed gull listed as an amber listed species?

The species has been amber listed because of the recent decline in the size of the non-breeding population and the importance of Britain and Ireland during the winter months. During the winter months our largely resident breeding population is joined by large numbers of Black-headed Gulls arriving from breeding areas elsewhere in Europe.

Where do black-headed gulls go in winter?

Many gulls will move inland in winter but black-headed gulls are the most common away from the coast. They will often head towards inland lakes and reservoirs at dusk. They will either roost on the bank or the water. These roosts can contain thousands of birds.

Is a black-headed gull a seagull?

It is most definitely not a ‘seagull’ and is found commonly almost anywhere inland. Black-headed gulls are sociable, quarrelsome, noisy birds, usually seen in small groups or flocks, often gathering into larger parties where there is plenty of food, or when they are roosting.

Do crows and gulls travel in winter?

However, both gulls and crows can travel long distances between feeding and roosting sites. They can start heading back an hour or so before sunset because they like to be back by nightfall. Many gulls will move inland in winter but black-headed gulls are the most common away from the coast.

Do gulls migrate in winter UK?

Until recently, lesser-black backed gulls were only summer visitors to the UK, but now some are resident here all year-round. In the winter, they are joined by birds from Scandinavia, while those of our summer breeding birds that do still migrate spend their winter in Africa.

What are the different types of black-backed gulls?

Farther east, in Russia, many ornithologists group the subspecies heuglini, taimyrensis, and barabensis with Lesser Black-backed Gull. Some of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the U.S. Pacific coast appear to be consistent with this Russian group.

What is the darkest backed gull in the world?

This is the darkest-backed of all subspecies. A long-winged, dark gray-backed gull with yellowish legs. The subspecies found breeding in western Siberia between the Kola and Taimyr peninsula (subspecies heuglini) apparently interbreeds with “Taimyr” Lesser Black-backed Gull ( taimyrensis) at the eastern edge of its range.

When do great black-backed gulls leave the nest?

Young great black-backed gulls leave the nest area at 50 days of age and may remain with their parents for an overall period of around six months, though most fledglings choose to congregate with other immature gulls in the search for food by fall.