# Lesser Black-backed Gull

*Larus fuscus*

These birds are incredible migrants; some individuals tagged in the UK have been tracked flying all the way to West Africa for the winter.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Laridae › Larus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** aquatic
- **Habitat:** Coastal cliffs, rocky islands, estuaries, salt marshes, and urban environments.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous: primarily fish, insects, crustaceans, small mammals, eggs, and organic waste.
- **Range:** Europe, North America, Africa, Middle East
- **Size:** Length 51-64 cm, Wingspan 124-150 cm
- **Lifespan:** 15-25 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Marine plastic pollution, overfishing of natural prey stocks, and avian influenza.
- **Safe to approach?:** Generally harmless to humans but can be highly defensive near nesting sites. Maintain a distance of at least 5 meters. Do not feed them, as this encourages aggressive begging behavior. If a gull swoops at you, hold an object like an umbrella or bag above your head and calmly exit the area.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/99b34fe1-df6e-4c3c-aedc-0adb217a1fb8
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4381
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus fuscus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/97967534/medium.jpg (Cody Delano, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.