Lesser Black-backed Gull

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Lesser Black-backed Gull Conservation status: Least concern
Larus fuscus graellsii; England
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Genus: Larus Species: L. fuscus
Binomial name
Larus fuscus Linnaeus, 1758

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

L. f. fuscus, behind, with Herring Gull; Poland

L. f. intermedius in flight at the southern Dutch coast.

This species breeds colonially on coasts and lakes, making a lined nest on the ground or cliff. Normally, three eggs are laid.

They are similar in size to the Herring Gull or just slightly smaller. The only confusable species in Europe is Great Black-backed Gull. Lesser is a smaller bird, with slimmer build, yellow rather than pinkish legs and smaller white "mirrors" at the wing tips. The adults have black or dark grey wings (depending on race) and back. The bill is yellow with a red spot. The head is greyer in winter, unlike Great Black-backed.

Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts and a neat wing pattern. They take four years to reach maturity. Identification from juvenile Herring Gulls is most readily done by the more solidly dark (unbarred) tertial feathers.

The call is a "laughing" cry like that of the Herring Gull (to which this species is closely related), but with a markedly deeper pitch.

They are omnivores like most Larus gulls, and they will scavenge as well as seeking suitable small prey.

There are three races:

• Larus fuscus fuscus - Baltic Sea, eastern Scandinavia. Mantle jet black.
• Larus fuscus intermedius - Denmark, Netherlands, Norway. Mantle sooty black.
• Larus fuscus graellsii - British Isles, Iceland, northern France. Mantle dark grey.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Larus fuscus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-792-26877-6
• Seabirds by Peter Harrison, ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 3, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
• "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6