Species

Great black-backed gull

Larus marinus

The largest gull in the world, a black-backed giant found on Georgia's beaches in winter.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Predation

At a glance

Size: About 71 to 79 cm long; wingspan about 1.5 to 1.7 m
Weight: About 1.3 to 2.3 kg
Habitat: Beaches, harbours and coastal waters
Diet: Fish, crabs, seabirds, eggs, carrion and scraps
In Georgia: An uncommon winter visitor on the coast; increasing
Voice: A deep, gruff "owk"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Huge; black back and wings; pink legs; heavy yellow bill with a red spot
Told apart from: Lesser black-backed gull, which is smaller with a slate-grey back and yellow legs
Where to look: Beaches and jetties, often standing apart from smaller gulls

Behaviour

Great black-backed gulls are powerful predators, taking fish, crabs and other birds. They dominate other gulls at food sources.

Why they matter

As the world's largest gull, the great black-backed gull is a top predator and scavenger on northern coasts. Its spread south along the Atlantic coast over the last century has made it a regular winter sight in Georgia.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A mound of grass on islands
Eggs — Usually three
Incubation — About 27 to 28 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Maturity — Adult plumage at about four years
Lifespan — Wild birds over twenty years are recorded

Living around people

Large gulls tangled in fishing line need a rehabilitator; their bills can deliver a hard bite, so they are best left to people trained to handle them.

Misconceptions

Big gulls are dangerous to people. They may take food, but they are not a danger to people who do not feed them.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Wintering	Leaving	Nesting farther north	Nesting	Chicks	Young flying	Moving south	Arriving	Wintering	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 27 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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