Lesser Black-backed Gull Identification

Breeding adult (graellsii)

A large, dark-backed gull with long wings and yellow legs. Adults show a large red spot on the bill and moderate contrast between the dark gray back and black primaries. In late summer and fall, adults molt their wing feathers—the worn tips to the old, unreplaced outer primaries are visible here.

Breeding adult (intermedius)

A large, high-contrast gull with long wings, yellow legs, and a dark gray back; adults show a large red spot on the yellow bill. Subspecies identification is very complicated away from the breeding grounds. The European subspecies intermedius shows dark gray upperparts that are intermediate in shade between the paler birds of northwestern Europe (graellsii) and the black-backed birds from the Baltic Sea and northeastern Europe (fuscus).

Breeding adult (fuscus)

Long wings, yellow legs, and dark upperparts combine to distinguish this adult. Breeding birds from the Baltic Sea and northeastern Europe (fuscus) are truly blackish above rather than slate gray. This is the darkest-backed of all subspecies.

Breeding adult (Heuglin's)

A long-winged, dark gray-backed gull with yellowish legs. The subspecies found breeding in western Siberia between the Kola and Taimyr peninsula (subspecies heuglini) apparently interbreeds with “Taimyr” Lesser Black-backed Gull (taimyrensis) at the eastern edge of its range. Subspecies identification of Lesser Black-backed Gulls away from each subspecies’ breeding range can be difficult or impossible.

First winter

A large but slim, long-winged gull. Young immatures like this 1st-winter bird are pale-headed, crisply checkered dark and white, and usually show a fully black bill through the first winter. The brown, black, and white plumage is relatively cold-toned.

Juvenile

Large gull with long wings and a slim black bill; juveniles are cold-toned and show dark feathers crisply edged in white on the back and upperwing.

Nonbreeding adult (graellsii)

A long-winged, yellow-legged gull showing moderate contrast between the slate gray upperwing and black wingtip. Adults show a restricted amount of white near the wingtip and a red spot on the bill, but may also show immature-like black bill markings.

Juvenile

As juveniles, these slim, long-winged gulls show cold plumage tones and feature an all dark bill, blackish primaries and secondaries, and a dark tail band that contrasts with a whitish rump and tail base. They appear crisply marked with neat, even feather edgings.

Juvenile

The wings of first cycle birds are dark below and contrast strongly with the pale body. Birds of this age show black bills and whitish bodies marked with dark splotches. Note the leg color—young immatures show pink legs that gradually become yellow after 2–3 years.

Nonbreeding adult (graellsii)

A dark-backed gull with yellow legs and a slim white crescent near the tail formed by the tertial tips. Winter adults show dusky streaks on the head. Wing molt often carries into mid-winter, and late-molting adults like this often appear short-winged because of the new, growing outer primary feathers.

Nonbreeding adult (Heuglin's)

As far as large gulls go, this species appears slim due to its both long wings and long legs. Most subspecies (including heuglini, shown here) show moderate contrast between the dark gray upperparts and the black primary tips.

Nonbreeding adult (taimyrensis)

Perhaps because of their long distance migrations, these gulls wander widely and can be expected to appear nearly anywhere on the globe. This pale-backed, dark-eyed individual with long fleshy-yellow legs was seen in Nova Scotia and fits the description of Taimyr Gull (subspecies taimyrensis), though identification of large gull taxa so far out of range is usually either speculative or impossible.

Second winter

As they repeatedly molt over the course of 3-4 years, these gulls progress from the checkered juvenile plumage to gray-backed, white-bodied adults. This presumed second winter gull shows replaced, gray-toned upperparts and round-tipped primaries. Note the mostly white head and the mostly black bill, which help to distinguish immatures from other immature large gulls.

Second summer

A long-winged, dark-gray backed gull with pale eyes and yellowish legs. Older immatures show a mix of immature and adult plumage and soft parts characteristics. By focusing on the degree of contrast between the plain, adult-like back feathers and the black primary tips, you can judge the relative darkness of the upperparts, and this can help sort through various local large gull options.

Second summer

Because of their long distance migrations and extended exposure to sun and abrasion, it’s very important for large gulls to replace their flight feathers each year. In gulls, molt generally starts near the middle of the wing and progresses outward through the primaries. This older immature bird is midway through replacing its primaries - the dark, ragged outer primaries are old, unreplaced feathers, and the four gray feathers with white tips near the middle of the wing are newly replaced inner primaries. With older immature large gulls, the exact gray tone of the plain adult-like back feathers can be very helpful for identification—compare them to the black wingtips to judge the contrast between these feather tracts.

See more images of this species in Macaulay Library

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The Four Keys to ID

Size & Shape
A medium to large gull with rather long, pointed wings (wingtips extend far beyond the tail when perched). Although smaller and slimmer than other “large gulls” like Herring Gull, this species has a larger head and thicker bill than “medium” gulls like Ring-billed.
Relative Size
Larger than a Ring-billed Gull, smaller than a Herring Gull.
between crow and goose
Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 20.5-25.2 in (52-64 cm)
Weight: 19.2-35.3 oz (545-1000 g)
Wingspan: 53.1-59.1 in (135-150 cm)
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay Library
Color Pattern
Adult in breeding plumage is white below, slate gray above, with white head, black wingtips, yellow eye, bright yellow legs, and yellow bill with red spot on lower mandible. Adult in nonbreeding plumage is similar but the head and neck are spotted brown. Juvenile is brown (with pale feather edges) above, paler with gray-brown mottling below, with darker primaries and blackish tail band. Subadult plumages are intermediate between adult and juvenile. Adult plumage is acquired in the fourth year.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay Library
Behavior
Habitat

Regional Differences

Taxonomists often recognize five or six subspecies of Lesser Black-backed Gull. North American records refer mostly to the western European subspecies graellsii. It has a paler gray back and upperwings than intermedius (northwestern Europe) and is much paler than fuscus (in the Baltic region), both of which have been reported as very rare vagrants in eastern North America. Farther east, in Russia, many ornithologists group the subspecies heuglini, taimyrensis, and barabensis with Lesser Black-backed Gull. Some of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the U.S. Pacific coast appear to be consistent with this Russian group.

Relative Size

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 20.5-25.2 in (52-64 cm)
Weight: 19.2-35.3 oz (545-1000 g)
Wingspan: 53.1-59.1 in (135-150 cm)

Species in This Family

More to Read

Lesser Black-backed Gull Photos and Videos

Breeding adult (graellsii)

Breeding adult (intermedius)

Breeding adult (fuscus)

Breeding adult (Heuglin's)

First winter

Juvenile

Nonbreeding adult (graellsii)

Juvenile

Juvenile

Nonbreeding adult (graellsii)

Nonbreeding adult (Heuglin's)

Nonbreeding adult (taimyrensis)

Second winter

Second summer

Second summer

Compare with Similar Species

Looking for ID Help?

The Four Keys to ID

Relative Size

MeasurementsBoth SexesLength: 20.5-25.2 in (52-64 cm)Weight: 19.2-35.3 oz (545-1000 g)Wingspan: 53.1-59.1 in (135-150 cm)

Regional Differences

Species in This Family

More to Read

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 20.5-25.2 in (52-64 cm)
Weight: 19.2-35.3 oz (545-1000 g)
Wingspan: 53.1-59.1 in (135-150 cm)