Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus)
Slaty-backed Gull

Slaty-backed Gull

Larus schistisagus

The Slaty-backed Gull, Larus schistisagus, is a robust seabird with a commanding presence. It is recognized by its large size, with a length ranging from 55 to 68.5 cm, a wingspan stretching between 132 and 160 cm, and a weight from 1.05 to 1.7 kg. This gull boasts a white head, belly, and tail, contrasted by a dark slaty-gray back and wings, edged with a broad white trailing edge.

Identification Tips

Adult Slaty-backed Gulls have yellow eyes set in purple to deep pink orbital skin, and their legs are a soft pink. Their stout build gives them a "pot-bellied" appearance, and their legs are relatively short compared to similar species. The bill is a striking yellow with an orange-red subterminal spot. One of the most distinctive features is the "string of pearls" wing pattern on the mid-primaries, a series of white crescents that connect to the white trailing edge of the secondaries. Immature birds display a brown plumage, lighter than that of the Great Black-backed Gull, and can be difficult to distinguish from immature Herring Gulls in the field.

Habitat

The Slaty-backed Gull is native to the Pacific coast of northeastern Asia, where it breeds.

Distribution

Outside the breeding season, this gull becomes a wide traveler, with individuals having been recorded across North America, from New England to Texas, and even as far afield as Finland.

Behaviour

This species is known for its extensive travels during the nonbreeding seasons, showcasing its adaptability and exploratory nature.

Similar Species

The Slaty-backed Gull is similar in appearance to the Western Gull and the Glaucous-winged Gull. However, it can be distinguished by its unique wing pattern and the darker shade of its wings and back.

Conservation status

The Slaty-backed Gull is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline.

Slaty-backed Gull Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Slaty-backed Gulls on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.