Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)

(last update: July 12, 2015)

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) KT13 2CY, January 08 2015, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Picture Jean-Michel Sauvage.

Code white KT13 and metal RUM Moskwa ES16123. Ringed as pullus on June 15 2014 at Kandalakshskiy Nature Reserve, Severnoe lesnichestvo, isl. Farvaternaya, Murmansk O., Russia (67.05 N 32.29 E).

History:
15.06.2014 Kandalakshskiy Nature Reserve, Severnoe lesnichestvo, isl. Farvaternaya, Murmansk O., Russia (67.05 N 32.29 E).
21.11.2014 Great Britain, Suffolk, Minsmere 52.14 N 1.37 E
08.01.2015 Boulogne-sur-mer,Pas-de-Calais,France. Distance: 2515 km

For another bird from this area: ES008270. Birds from this far north White Sea district are rare in France, but occasionally ringed birds are seen from Hornøya, Vardø, Finnmark, Norway as well. These Finnmark birds travel a good 2663 km to arrive in the Pas-de-Calais region. It seems reasonable to assume the birds follow the entire Norwegian coast sothwards into the North Sea bassin.
Other long distance travellers arrive from the east, like Larus marinus black C79A, ringed as pullus on June 14 1999 at Hanko, Uusimaa, Finland south coast (59.49N ; 23.10E). C79A travelled a distance of 1686 km to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in 2000. Below is a map with these locations.

US: 75-99%, LS: 75-99%, TOT SCAPS: 75-99%. Coverts and tertials juvenile.

below: Южная губа, куйпога (gorod Kandalaksha, Murmanskaya oblast', Rusland). Picture: Juri Goblin. This is the breeding location for KT13, ringed at island Farvaternaya.