# Great Black-backed Gull (*Larus marinus*) The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in North America. With its dark wings, it's easy to spot! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 34 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas and islands - **Also known as:** Black-backed Gull ![Great Black-backed Gull](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426566/objects/4623.jpg) ## Appearance The Great Black-backed Gull is a very large, powerful gull with a distinctive dark slate-gray to black back and upperwings, contrasting sharply with its pure white head and underparts. It has a thick, yellow bill with a prominent red spot near the tip, and pinkish legs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Larus ## Interesting facts - Adults have lived over 30 years in the wild, soaring the coasts! - Great Black-backed Gulls can swallow whole rats or small rabbits! - They sometimes steal fish directly from other birds, even puffins! - This giant gull is the largest gull species in the world! ## Special abilities - **Apex Scavenger:** Great Black-backed Gull can digest almost anything because of powerful stomach acid that helps them eat diverse foods from carrion to garbage. - **Predator's Gaze:** Great Black-backed Gull can spot prey from high above with keen eyesight that helps them find fish, other birds, or even small mammals. - **Opportunistic Feaster:** Great Black-backed Gull has a wide gape and strong jaws that help them swallow surprisingly large prey whole or tear it into pieces. - **Coastal Master:** Great Black-backed Gull can soar effortlessly on coastal winds because of its broad wings that help them cover vast distances over the sea. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 64-79 cm - **Wingspan:** 150-170 cm - **Weight:** 1.3-2.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 26-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding A mighty eater, they feast on fish, small birds, eggs, and anything else they can find! - **Primary Foods:** Fish, Other bird chicks, Eggs, Carrion, Marine invertebrates, Refuse - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/herring-gull) (*Larus argentatus*) — preys on eggs and chicks of smaller gull species - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Puffin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-puffin) (*Fratercula arctica*) — a known predator of puffin chicks and eggs - **Eats:** [Atlantic Cod](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-cod) (*Gadus morhua*) — preys on various fish, including young cod - **Eats:** [Harbor Seal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/harbor-seal) (*Phoca vitulina*) — often scavenges on the carcasses of dead seals ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Great Black-backed Gull? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Great Black-backed Gull? 64-79 cm ### What is Great Black-backed Gull's wingspan? 150-170 cm ### How much does Great Black-backed Gull weigh? 1.3-2.5 kg ### How long does Great Black-backed Gull live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Great Black-backed Gull move? 65 km/h ### What does Great Black-backed Gull eat? A mighty eater, they feast on fish, small birds, eggs, and anything else they can find! ### Where is Great Black-backed Gull usually found? Coastal areas and islands ## Where to spot - [Cape Lookout Coast Guard Station](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-lookout-coast-guard-station) — US · Historic Site - [Derryfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/derryfield-park) — New Hampshire, US · Park - [East 73rd Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-73rd-street-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Fort Revere Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-revere-park) — US · State Park - [Harkness Memorial State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harkness-memorial-state-park) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Hempstead Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hempstead-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see Great Black-backed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-black-backed-gull) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Great Black-backed Gull: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-black-backed-gull)