Great black-backed gull (Sardinia, Italy)

            The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), also known as the greater black-backed gull or, informally, as the black-back, is the largest member of the gull family in the world. Only a few other gulls come close to matching this species' size. The black-back is 64 to 79 cm long with a 1.5 to 1.7 meter wingspan and a body weight of 0.75 to 2.3 kg. The great black-backed gull is bulky and imposing in appearance with a large, powerful bill. 

The adult great black-backed gull is fairly distinctive, as no other very large gull with blackish coloration on its upper-wings generally occurs in the North Atlantic. In other white-headed North Atlantic gulls, the mantle is generally a lighter gray colour and, in some species, it is a light powdery colour or even pinkish. It is grayish-black on the wings and back, with conspicuous, contrasting white "mirrors" at the wing tips. The legs are pinkish, and the bill is yellow or yellow-pink with some orange or red near tip of lower bill. Its call is a deep "laughing" cry, kaa-ga-ga, with the first note sometimes drawn out in an almost bovid-like sound. The voice is distinctly deeper than most other gull species.

Like most gulls, great black-backed gulls are opportunistic feeders, apex predators, and are very curious. They will investigate any small organism they encounter and will readily eat almost anything that they can swallow. They get much of their dietary energy from scavenging, with refuse, most provided directly by humans. The proliferation of garbage or refuse dumps has become a major attractant to this and all other non-specialized gull species in its range. However, great black-backed gulls are only observed actively foraging 19% of their time there, eating less garbage than other common gulls, and spending most of their time roosting or loafing. They also capture fish with some regularity and will readily capture any fish smaller than itself found close to the surface of the water. Stomach contents of great black-backed gulls usually show fish to be the primary food. 

Unlike most other Larus gulls, they are highly predatory and frequently hunt and kill any prey smaller than themselves, behaving more like a raptor than a typical larid gull. Lacking the razor-sharp talons and curved, tearing beak of a raptor, the great black-backed gull relies on aggression, physical strength and endurance when hunting. When attacking other animals, they usually hunt for seabird eggs, nestlings or fledgings at the nest, perhaps most numerously terns, but also including smaller gull species as well as eiders, gannets and various alcids. 

Adult or fledged juveniles of various bird species have also been predaceously attacked. When attacking other flying birds, the great black-backed gulls often pursue them on the wing and attack them by jabbing with their bill, hoping to bring down the other bird either by creating an open wound or simply via exhaustion. They will also catch flying passerines, which they typically target while the small birds are exhausted from migration and swallow them immediately. Great black-backed gull also feed on land animals, including rats at garbage dumps and even sickly lambs.

Black-backs will readily exploit easy food sources, including chum lines made by boats at sea. They are skilled kleptoparasites who will readily pirate fish and other prey captured by other birds and dominate over other gulls when they encounter them. Due to their method of using intimidation while encountering other water and raptorial birds, the species has been referred to as "merciless tyrant".
Source: Wikipedia

Taken in: Italia / Sardegna / Pula (show map)

Taken on: September 15, 2015

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Camera: Nikon D5100, f/8.0, 1/1000 sec, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D5100
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
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