Great Black-backed Gull (juv.)
Larus marinus

f8 @ 1/2500s, ISO:1000, Nikon D3S w 500mm

\"Great Black-backed Gull,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The great black-backed gull also known as the greater black-backed gull or, informally, as the black-back, is the largest member of the gull family. This is the largest gull in the world, noticeably outsizing a herring gull (Larus argentatus). Only a few other gulls, including Pallas\'s gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) and glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), come close to matching this species\' size.Juvenile birds of under a year old have scaly, checkered black-brown upper parts, the head and underparts streaked with gray brown, and a neat wing pattern. The face and nape are paler and the wing flight feathers are blackish-brown. The juvenile\'s tail is white with zigzag bars and spots at base and a broken blackish band near the tip. The bill of the juvenile is brownish-black with white tip and the legs dark bluish-gray with some pink tones. As the young gull ages, the gray-brown coloration gradually fades to more contrasting plumage and the bill darkens to black before growing paler. By the third year, the young gulls resemble a streakier, dirtier-looking version of the adult.

Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida

01/17/2016