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Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus fuscus (Lesser Black-backed Gull)
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
66 Verified sightings at Cairngorms National Park From 2019 to 2026
10,059 In all 33 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Lesser Black-backed Gull
The lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especially along the east coast. Formerly just a winter visitor to North America, it now occurs in large numbers some winters and birds are recorded year-round. However, there is serious concern about decline in many parts of its range. The species is on the UK Amber List because the UK is home to 40 per cent of the European population and more than half of these are found at fewer than ten breeding sites.
The lesser black-backed gull was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, and it still bears its original name Larus fuscus. The scientific name is from Latin. Larus appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and fuscus meant black or brown.
Five subspecies are accepted: The lesser black-backed gull is smaller than the European herring gull. The taxonomy of the herring gull / lesser black-backed gull complex is... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesser Black-backed Gull in Cairngorms National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Tangier | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 5 | Casablanca | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 6 | Rabat | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 7 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 9 | Kuwait City | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Le Marais aux Oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Zoo Koki (Parque zoológico y botánico) | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Ecomare | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 6 | Ogród Zoologiczny w Katowicach | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Cairngorms National Park?
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 99th most-seen of the 140 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Cairngorms National Park?
April
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Cairngorms National Park the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?
15th of 33
Of the 33 parks where we can rate Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, about 40%), Vatnajokull National Park (Iceland, about 40%) and Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 30%).
Which relatives of the Lesser Black-backed Gull live in Cairngorms National Park?
Same genus: Larus
The closest relatives of the Lesser Black-backed Gull that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (genus Larus, Large White-headed Gulls) are Common Gull (about 20%) and European Herring Gull (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Black-backed Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Cairngorms National Park (66 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
