Listen to the great black-backed gull
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the great black-backed gull
The great black-backed gull is a bird in the family Laridae (order Charadriiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 167 cm.
What does the great black-backed gull sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as larus marinus. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) is the largest member of the gull and tern family Laridae. It is a very aggressive hunter, pirate and scavenger which breeds on the North Atlantic coasts and islands of northern Europe and northeastern North America. Southern populations are generally sedentary, while those breeding in the far north (northern Norway, northwest Russia) migrate farther south in winter. A few also move inland to large lakes and reservoirs. The adult has a white head, neck and underparts, dark blackish-grey wings and back, pink legs and the bill yellow with a red spot.
Related birds in the genus Larus
More from the family Laridae
Frequently asked questions
What does a great black-backed gull sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the great black-backed gull on this page, including its larus marinus. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the great black-backed gull endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the great black-backed gull as “least concern”.
What family does the great black-backed gull belong to?
The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) belongs to the family Laridae in the order Charadriiformes.
Sources & credits
- Larus marinus by Tony Phillips – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Gavión atlántico (Larus marinus) by Doug Hynes – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q26629 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Great black-backed gull – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Andreas Trepte – CC BY-SA 2.5