Eyes are yellow with red orbital rings. Our largest gull. On paper Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls are straightforward to separate but, in reality, many of us struggle - especially as the light conditions can alter their colour and size is not always apparent. Plumage wise, Greater Black-backed usually have darker backs than the bird shown (variable though, and some can appear this shade), and … Because of its large size and omnivorous feeding habits, the Great Black-back can be a significant predator on other species of birds during the nesting season. Meet the lesser black-backed gull, one of several winter gull species found in our area. P10 almost full-grown. As my very own patch, Birkenhead Docks supports its own colony of European Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull, I thought it’d be fitting to take part in the JNCC & BTO partnership seabird census and not just do a census on what was breeding just on my patch, but the whole town - All 25.18 km² of it. Primarily a bird of the Atlantic Coast, seldom seen inland except around the Great Lakes. Their world population is found entirely in Europe. Bill is yellow with red spot near tip. The lesser-black backed gull can be seen on farmland, wetlands and around the coast. Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, October 13 2001 Westkapelle, the Netherlands. After declines in the 19th century due to persecution they increased their range and numbers. Lesser Black-backed Gull: Medium-sized gull with dark gray back and wings. Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, October 13 2001 Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Levels of recruitment were thus far rather low in the Kelderhuispolder. Note very small mirror on p9. Immature Lesser Black-backed have pink legs, which become yellower at different rates for different individuals as they age. Lesser Black-backed Gull intermedius VV0U 4CY, October 10 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.. unringed sub-adult LBBG in October. Recruitment and the Balance Per Annum. The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe.It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa.It is a regular winter visitor to the east coast of North America, probably from the breeding population in Iceland. If accepted this would be the first immature Lesser Black-backed Gull detected in California. Look for it over fields, landfill sites and reservoirs during winter. Watch our video to tell these two species apart, as well as differentiate them from Herring Gull. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Check out the full taxonomy and distribution of Lesser Black-backed Gull on HBW Alive. The lesser-black backed gull can be spotted around the coast in summer, with the biggest colony on Walney Island, Cumbria. Adult birds have heavy yellow bills with a orange spot on the lower bill, the head is pure white in the summer and streaked in the winter; the legs are yellow. Slightly smaller than a herring gull, the lesser black-backed gull has a dark grey to black back and wings, yellow bill and yellow legs. Lesser Black-backed Gulls have four age groups and attain adult plumage after three years when they moult into adult winter plumage.