Part 07: Lesser Black backed Gull (Larus fuscus)

#LesserBlackBackedGull Slender, the long-winged gull is slightly smaller than the Herring Gull. Adults have a dark gray back and yellow legs; in winter, notice fairly heavy streaking on the head and neck. It takes four or five years to develop full adult plumage, and immature birds can be hard to tell apart from other gulls, especially Herring Gulls. In first- or second-year birds, look for a clearly whiter head with a dark smudge around the eye, long wings, a dark bill, a whitish rump and tail base, and wings that are evenly dark in flight. This gull can be seen around any body of water but prefers beaches and flats, often with flocks of other large gulls. It’s common in Eurasia, wintering in Africa and Southeast Asia. In North America, the population has grown dramatically over the past couple of decades; it is now regularly seen — and even fairly common! — on the Atlantic coast, less so inland, and farther west. #birdsandnature #wildlife #birds #nature #birdphotography #birdsounds #birdwatching #birdsandnaturesounds