Gulls & Terns

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Heringsmöwe

Larus fuscus

Gulls & Terns3 photosFirst seen: 11 July 2026

The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a medium-sized gull with a dark grey back, yellow legs and a yellow bill marked with red. It breeds mainly in Europe and has become increasingly regular in North America. Records remain uncommon on the Pacific coast. The species eats fish, invertebrates, eggs, carrion and human refuse. Adults acquire their full dark-backed plumage gradually over several years.

ID tip: Bright yellow legs with a dark slate mantle rule out every expected Puget Sound gull. Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls, and their hybrids, all have pink legs.

First seen: 11 July 2026 · Seabrook · 3 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Seabrook11 July 2026

Family: Gulls & Terns (Laridae)
Length: 51–64 cm
Wingspan: 124–150 cm
Regional status: Rare visitor (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Coasts, estuaries, reservoirs, rubbish tips, farmland
Diet: Fish, invertebrates, carrion, refuse, eggs and chicks

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Places in my records

Selected photographs