Larus fuscus
Copied!
Mass
~760 g
Habitat
Coastal areas
Diet
Fish and aquatic animals
How to recognize it
The lesser black-backed gull is a large gull with a light build and long, neat wings. Adults are easiest to remember by the bright yellow legs and darker upper side, while young ones stay mottled for a long time and do not settle into adult plumage until the fourth year.
It is steady and unhurried in its movements. Before nesting, it becomes noisy, calls loudly, throws its head back or down, bends its body, and may feed its partner.
It breeds on coasts and around large lakes, and sometimes settles on islands or even rooftops when space is tight. It eats fish, molluscs, insects, worms, berries, seeds, carrion, and whatever else is easy to get, and most populations move south for winter.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The lesser black-backed gull is a large gull with a light build and long, neat wings. Adults are easiest to remember by the bright yellow legs and darker upper side, while young ones stay mottled for a long time and do not settle into adult plumage until the fourth year.
It is steady and unhurried in its movements. Before nesting, it becomes noisy, calls loudly, throws its head back or down, bends its body, and may feed its partner.
It breeds on coasts and around large lakes, and sometimes settles on islands or even rooftops when space is tight. It eats fish, molluscs, insects, worms, berries, seeds, carrion, and whatever else is easy to get, and most populations move south for winter.
