Animal Profiles
Birds

Seagull

Laridae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Seagull is a broad everyday name rather than one species. This account describes the great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), a large North Atlantic predator and scavenger.

Larus marinus (seagull)

Representative species: Larus marinus.

Andreas Trepte · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Habitat
Coast
Diet
Omnivore
Food
A broad variety of animal foods and scavenged material.

Classification

Common name
Seagull
Browse group
Birds
Scientific name or taxon
Laridae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae
Source classification
Aves

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • It is among the largest gulls.
  • Young birds are mottled rather than black-backed.
  • It hunts, scavenges and steals food.

Habitat and range

Great black-backed gulls breed along eastern North America and northern and western Europe. Rocky islands, beaches, estuaries and other coastal habitats provide nesting and feeding places.

Appearance and adaptations

Adults have a white body, dark upperwings and back, and a heavy bill. Young birds begin mottled brown and white and acquire the adult appearance gradually.

Diet and behaviour

Fish, other birds, invertebrates and scavenged food all enter the diet. These gulls also steal food from other animals. Often widely spaced, individuals can gather around rich food supplies or at breeding sites.

Sources

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