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Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinus

Least Concern (IUCN Red List)Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Great Black-backed Gull, photographed by Rhododendrites

Photo: Rhododendrites · Wikimedia · CC-BY-SA 4.0 (licence)

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About the Great Black-backed Gull

The largest gull in the world. Huge, bulky, and large-billed. Adults have dark black backs and pale pink legs. Nonbreeding adults have very limited streaking on the head. Takes four years for immatures to reach adult plumage; intermediate plumages are often mottled and messy. Tends to look colder-toned overall, with more checkered upperparts and a whiter head than other immature gulls. Always note large size and thick bill. Most common along the coasts of the northeastern U.S. and Europe, but also occurs on large lakes (especially the Great Lakes). Often gathers in mixed flocks with other large gulls on beaches and mudflats.

Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made

Where it has been recorded

Recorded in 75 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.

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