This gull is the nearest to the Herring Gull in size, but may be distinguished by it's very dark mantle, and may be told from the Great Black Back Gull by it's much smaller size and by it's yellow legs. The bill is also yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible.

The plumage is mostly spotless white with the wing tips being black with white mirrors. The immature plumage is mottled with brown and can linger for three to four years. The picture below shows a Lesser Black in flight.

Biology:

Size: Attains a length of about 21 to 22 inches.

Habitat: Mainly the coast but frequently goes inland. It is a summer visitor, though a few may overwinter.

Nest: Usually a certain ammount of seaweed and grass, built on a sloping grassy cliff or island, or in marshy areas with other Black Backs.

Eggs: Laying usually starts around the end of April begining of May, and 2-3 eggs are usually laid which are greenish, olive or buff, spotted with brown,

Food: It eats small fish and the usual marine animals and carrion; also seabirds which it kills, also their eggs and their young. Inland it will eat grubs but also forages around tips and anywhere else that there is an easy meal.

The treatment for gulls is laid out on the Herring Gull page, also with links to other sites which are expert in this problem.

Back to main gull page

Back to main Pest Bird page