Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic

Lesser Black-backed Gull

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

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 214th most-seen of the 267 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Washington 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 Washington the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

97th of 103. Of the 103 cities where we can rate Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings, Washington ranks 97th 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 Washington (97 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 Washington

In 3 days <5%

97 Verified sightings at Washington

10,059 In all 33 parks From 2019 to 2026

December 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 Washington

Larus delawarensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Larus smithsonianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus marinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus glaucoides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucophaeus atricilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sterna forsteri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sternula antillarum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chlidonias niger

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Charadrius vociferus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

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

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 214th most-seen of the 267 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Washington 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 Washington the best place to see a Lesser Black-backed Gull?

97th of 103

Of the 103 cities where we can rate Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings, Washington ranks 97th 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 Washington (97 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 Washington

Lesser Black-backed Gull

About the Lesser Black-backed Gull

Sounds

Recent sightings of Lesser Black-backed Gull in Washington

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Washington

Ring-billed Gull

American Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Iceland Gull

Laughing Gull

Caspian Tern

Bonaparte's Gull

Forster's Tern

Least Tern

Common Tern

Black Tern

Killdeer

Before you go

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

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

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

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

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