Birds and wildlife

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinusGroup: Gulls and ternsUK Conservation status:Red

How to identify

A very large, thick-set black-backed gull, with a powerful beak. Adults are blacker than the smaller Lesser Black-backed Gull. It has a heavy flight and can look quite hunched when perched. It will fight off other gulls and chase them to snatch food.

Call

Great Black-backed Gull

Stuart Fisher / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

  • At around 78cm long, they’re the world’s largest gull!
  • Great Black-backed Gulls are much larger than other gull species
  • A powerful beak, black back, white head and body, and pink legs
  • They have a large white edge on their outer wings
  • Their call is said to sound like a loud bark (and they’re around the size of a small dog!)
Great Black-backed Gull, preening its feathers
Great Black-backed Gull
There’s no such thing as a seagull – your guide to UK gull identification

A common sight on our coastlines and a summertime soundtrack, here’s a guide to the six most common UK gull species.

Where and when to see them

Great Black-backed Gulls can be seen all year round. Look out for them on UK coastlines in the summer. During winter, they may be seen slightly more inland on estuaries and lakes.

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Behaviour

These bruisers come with an attitude to match! They’re often seen fighting off other gull species for food. They eat shellfish, crustaceans, fish and will take small mammals if the opportunity arises.

Nesting

They prefer to nest on cliff ledges or scrapes, and the female tends to lay three eggs between April and May.

Gulls and the law: What to do if gulls nest on your roof

Did you know that there is more than one type of ‘seagull’? In fact, there are around 50 species worldwide and six types which commonly breed in the UK! Perhaps you have that noticed that not all of them are seen by the sea? 

Key facts