Lesser Black-Backed Gull


Lesser Black-Backed Gull

 

(Larus fuscus), a bird of the family Laridae of the order Charadriiformes. It measures 51–58 cm long and weighs 620–780 g. The head, neck, under-parts, and tail are white, and the back and wings are dark bluish gray; the young birds are dark brown. The lesser black-backed gull is distributed in northern Europe; in the USSR it is found in the northwest, from the Kola Peninsula to the Baltic Region and Lake Onega. In the winter the birds migrate to the Black Sea. They nest in coastal cliffs and on small islands, frequently in colonies. Two or three eggs are laid at a time, which hatch after 24 days. The lesser black-backed gull feeds on fish, insects, marine invertebrates, berries, and, more rarely, on rodents.