Great black-backed gull

The great black-backed gull is the largest member of the gull and tern family Laridae, breeding on coasts and islands of the North Atlantic in northern Europe and northeastern North America. It is a highly aggressive predator, hunter, pirate and scavenger, with a white head, neck and underparts set against dark blackish grey wings and back, pink legs and a yellow bill marked with a red spot. Southern populations tend to stay put through the year while northern breeders migrate further south, and some birds move inland to large lakes and rivers in winter. The species has adapted readily to urban environments for nesting, which has let its numbers expand, though this same abundance now creates problems near airports and threats to rarer seabirds through predation and competition.