Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting in Barcelona on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 109th most-seen of the 215 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Q: 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.

Q: Is Barcelona the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

69th of 103. Of the 103 cities where we can rate Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings, Barcelona ranks 69th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 80%), Manchester (United Kingdom, about 60%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 60%).

Q: 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 Barcelona (109 verified sightings), 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.

Larus fuscus

Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

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)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Barcelona

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

109 Verified sightings at Barcelona

10,059 In all 33 parks From 2019 to 2026

March Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge City Classics WorldwideMedium

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 →

Sounds

Flight call0:10

Italy · 2025

Call1:13

United Kingdom · 2025

Nocturnal flight call0:27

France · 2024

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 6 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~40%
2	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	~40%
3	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~30%
4	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
5	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
6	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
7	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
8	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
11	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
12	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
13	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
14	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
15	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
16	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
17	Svalbard	🇳🇴 Norway	<5%
18	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
19	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
20	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
21	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
22	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
23	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
24	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
25	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
26	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
27	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
28	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
29	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
30	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
31	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
32	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Liverpool	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~80%
2	Manchester	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~60%
3	Birmingham	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~60%
4	Tangier	🇲🇦 Morocco	~60%
5	Casablanca	🇲🇦 Morocco	~50%
6	Rabat	🇲🇦 Morocco	~50%
7	London	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~40%
8	Lisbon	🇵🇹 Portugal	~40%
9	Kuwait City	🇰🇼 Kuwait	~40%
10	Amsterdam	🇳🇱 Netherlands	~40%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Copenhagen Zoo	🇩🇰 Denmark	In captivity
2	Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
3	Le Marais aux Oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
4	Zoo Koki (Parque zoológico y botánico)	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
5	Ecomare	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
6	Ogród Zoologiczny w Katowicach	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Barcelona

Larus michahellis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Larus canus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Ichthyaetus audouinii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Gelochelidon nilotica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus genei

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chlidonias hybrida

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting in Barcelona on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 109th most-seen of the 215 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

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 Barcelona the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

69th of 103

Of the 103 cities where we can rate Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings, Barcelona ranks 69th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 80%), Manchester (United Kingdom, about 60%) and Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 60%).

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 Barcelona (109 verified sightings), 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.

← Back to Barcelona

Lesser Black-backed Gull

About the Lesser Black-backed Gull

Sounds

Recent sightings of Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Barcelona

Yellow-legged Gull

Common Gull

Black-headed Gull

Audouin's Gull

Sandwich Tern

Mediterranean Gull

Little Gull

Caspian Tern

Common Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Slender-billed Gull

Whiskered Tern

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

When is the best time to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Barcelona?

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

Is Barcelona the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

Where does the Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting chance come from?