Photo: Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) is a member of the Laridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1.6 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Genus Larus
- Species marinus
Where it lives
North Atlantic coasts, from southwestern, southeastern Greenland, Iceland to northwestern Europe, Svalbard (north of Norway) and Baltic states (northwestern Russia); coastal and inland northeastern Canada to Great Lakes (scarce) and coasts to New Jersey
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.6 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Laridae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Black-backed Gull is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of coastal habitats, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Great Black-backed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) is a species of bird in the Laridae family, part of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL North Atlantic coasts, from sw, se Greenland, Iceland to nw Europe, Svalbard (n of Norway) and Baltic states (nw Russia); coastal and inland ne Canada to Great Lakes (scarce) and coasts to New Jersey.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.6 kg, with a wing length of about 47.8 cm and a tail of around 18.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Black-backed Gull?
The Great Black-backed Gull is a very large bird that weighs around 1.6 kg.
Where does the Great Black-backed Gull live?
The Great Black-backed Gull is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL North Atlantic coasts, from sw, se Greenland, Iceland to nw Europe, Svalbard (n of Norway) and Baltic states (nw Russia); coastal and inland ne Canada to Great Lakes (scarce) and coasts to New Jersey, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great Black-backed Gull belong to?
The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Great Black-backed Gull eat?
The Great Black-backed Gull is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Great Black-backed Gull migrate?
The Great Black-backed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Great Black-backed Gull endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Black-backed Gull make?
1 real field recording of the Great Black-backed Gull — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Black-backed Gull's range?
The Great Black-backed Gull has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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