Christopher Taylor Bird Nature Wildlife Mammal Photography
bird photography
GALLERIES > BIRDS > CHARADRIIFORMES > LARIDAE > LARINAE > GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL [Larus marinus]

 plot images on map NEW!

Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Clonea Strand, Ireland
GPS: 52.1W, -7.5N MAP
Date: January 5, 2012
ID : B13K2558 [4896 x 3264]

bird photography
Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3022 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography
Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberlands, United Kingdom
GPS: 55.2W, -1.5N MAP
Date: December 30, 2011
ID : B13K2081 [4896 x 3264]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull Photo
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V2971 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull Picture
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3039 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography
Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle)
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3021 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle)
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3043 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle)
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3046 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography
Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle)
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3055 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle)
 
 
Location: Provincetown (Cape Cod), MA
GPS: 42.1W, -70.2N MAP
Date: September 22, 2010
ID : 7C2V3062 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull Photo
 
 
Location: Cleveland (E 72nd St), OH
GPS: 41.5W, -81.6N MAP
Date: January 11, 2009
ID : 7C2V3342 [3888 x 2592]
Great Black-backed Gull Picture
 
 
Location: Crystal Rock, OH
GPS: 41.4W, -82.8N MAP
Date: December 20, 2009
ID : 7C2V5249 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Conneaut, OH
GPS: 42.0W, -80.6N MAP
Date: May 9, 2008
ID : 0911 [3888 x 2592]
Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Conneaut, OH
GPS: 42.0W, -80.6N MAP
Date: May 9, 2008
ID : 0896 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography
Great Black-backed Gull Picture
 
 
Location: Conneaut, OH
GPS: 42.0W, -80.6N MAP
Date: May 9, 2008
ID : 0892 [3888 x 2592]
Great Black-backed Gull Image
 
 
Location: Jekyll Island, GA
GPS: 31.1W, -81.4N MAP
Date: February 10, 2008
ID : 3738 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography

SPECIES INFO

The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic. It is fairly sedentary, but some Great Black-backed Gulls move further south or inland to large lakes or reservoirs.

This is the largest gull, much bigger than a Herring Gull and is often described as the King of Gulls.[citation needed] It is 61-74 cm long with a 1.4-1.7 m wingspan, the large adult males often weighing in at more than two kilogrammes. It is bulky, and has a powerful bill. The adults have black wings and back, with conspicuous white "mirrors" at the wing tips. The legs are pinkish, and the bill yellow with a red spot.

Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts, and a neat wing pattern. They take at least four years to reach maturity, development in this species being somewhat slower than that of other large gulls. The call is a deep "laughing" cry.

Unlike most Larus gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls are mostly carnivorous and frequently hunt and kill any prey smaller than themselves, behaving more like a raptor than a typical larid gull, though they will also scavenge. They frequently rob other seabirds of their catch. They can swallow a puffin or a small wild duck whole.

This species breeds singly or in small colonies, making a lined nest on the ground often on top of a rocky stack. 3-5 eggs are laid.



                                     




bird photography
great_black_backed_gull's Range Map Click here to see the Great Black-backed Gull's range map!
Listen to the Great Black-backed Gull Call:



HOME · ABOUT ME · GALLERY · STOCKLIST · VIDEO · SEARCH · PRESS · CONTACT · BLOG · NEW STUFF
nature photography
All images and video © Copyright 2006-2013 Christopher Taylor, Content and maps by their respective owner. All rights reserved.
nature photography
           

Fatbirder's Top 500 Birding Websites