Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus marinus (Great Black-backed Gull)
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. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Great Black-backed Gull sighting in Thingvellir National Park, based on 43 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Thingvellir National Park
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Common Gull
Larus canus
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
European Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 9 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Great Black-backed Gull in Thingvellir National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Great Black-backed Gull sighting in Thingvellir National Park, based on 43 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Great Black-backed Gull in Thingvellir National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Great Black-backed Gull in Thingvellir National Park in our monthly data.