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10

Great Black-backed Gull

(Larus marinus)
German name(s): "Mantelmöwe"
Size: 64-79 cm; wing span: 1.5-1.7 m
Weight: 0.75-2.3 kg

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Great Black-backed Gull at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage; note the characteristic dark-grey mantle and the massive bill - the bird is surrounded by other, smaller gulls including, on the left, a Yellow-legged Gull (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, June 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Torre Beach, Carcavelos, near Lisbon, Portugal, November 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage, surrounded by other, smaller gulls
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, September 2017]

Lateral view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage; note the characteristic dark-grey mantle and the massive bill (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Torre Beach, Carcavelos, near Lisbon, Portugal, November 2017]

Lateral view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Black-backed Gull in heavily worn breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Padstow, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a Great Black-backed Gull in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, October 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a fourth calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull surrounded by other, smaller gulls (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, June 2017]

Lateral view of a third calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull that has lost a foot, surrounded by other, smaller gulls (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, June 2017]

Lateral view of a second calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull surrounded by other, smaller gulls
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, March 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a second calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, October 2019]

Frontal view of a first calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull surrounded by other, smaller gulls (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, November 2017]

Lateral view of a first calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull; note the size of this bird compared to the Lesser Black-backed Gull in the background (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Torre Beach, Carcavelos, near Lisbon, Portugal, November 2017]

Lateral view of a first calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018]

Lateral view of a first calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull surrounded by other, smaller gulls (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, July 2017]

Lateral view of a first calendar-year Great Black-backed Gull surrounded by other, smaller gulls (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Costa de Caparica, Portugal, July 2017]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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