Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)

(last update: July 12, 2015)

Coordinators:
Jean-Michel Sauvage (France)
Morten Helberg (Norway)
Nils Helge Lorentzen (Norway)
Mars Muusse (Netherlands)

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1A5 adult, May 2009, Appledore Island. Picture: Alex Tongas.

A special gull mentioned here is 7E3's mate, 1A5. 1A5, also known as Killer, had a rather unique feeding strategy. With two species of gulls breeding on the island without other predators, the gulls exhibit intraspecific (within species) and interspecific (across species) predation during the breeding season.  In particular, adult Great Black-backed Gulls frequently prey on Herring Gull chicks and eggs. Killer was unique because he would kill adult Herring Gulls, which I witnessed firsthand back in 2009. 7E3 was there as well, but clearly as an observer. 1A5 hasn’t been seen since 2010.