Great black-backed gull

Scientific Name Larus marinus

Native Yes

Family Laridae

Common Weight 1000 Grams

Common Height 30 CM

Common Length 50 CM

Identification

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

The black-backed gull is one of the most abundant and familiar large birds in New Zealand, although many people do not realise that the mottled brown juveniles (mistakenly called “mollyhawks”) are the same species as the immaculate adults.

Adults have white head and underparts with black back, yellow bill with red spot near tip of lower mandible, and pale green legs. Juveniles are dark mottled brown with black bill and legs; their plumage lightens with age until they moult into adult plumage at 3 years old.

They let out a long series of loud calls ‘ee-ah-ha-ha-ha’ etc, given in territorial and aggressive contexts.

They are abundant anywhere food scraps, offal and other organic waste can be obtained, including landfills and wharves. Common in estuaries and harbours, rocky and sandy shores and riverbeds; occurs more sparsely inland over farmland, and even subalpine tussockland and herbfields.

Black-backed gulls are often attracted to food sources provided inadvertently or deliberately by people. Black-backed gulls are often seen on the water’s edge where they scavenge corpses and fish frames washed up on the tide. Flocks follow ploughs or inshore fishing boats with equal vigour.

Waiheke Wildlife

Spur-winged Plover

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

Thrush

The thrush is a medium-sized songbird with a speckled brown-on-cream breast, usually heard before it is seen, found in grass reserves, gardens and trees on Waiheke.

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches.

Fantail

The Fantail is a well known NZ bird due to its distinctive fanned tail. Locations found on Waiheke are any well-treed parks, bush walks and even properties.

Welcome Swallow

Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds, they are usually seen around waiheke during breeding season between August and February on powerlines, fences and beaches.

Pūkeko

The Pukeko is a large relatively compact rail with a deep blue-violet head, breast and throat and a red bill. Found in swamp/Mangrove areas of Waiheke Island.

Pied Shag

This large black-and-white shag is often seen individually or in a group, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around fisherman by the rocks of Waiheke.

Black Bird

The black bird is a medium-sized songbird that is entirely black in adult males with a yellow bill. Abundantly found on Waiheke around household properties and trees.

Pied Stilt

The pied stilt is a dainty wading bird, It is common at wetlands and coastal areas, found on Waiheke at Putiki Bay, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Grey Warbler

The Grey Warbler is a tiny olive-grey song bird often heard before seen. Locations on Waiheke are dense woody vegetations. The warbler can be difficult to spot.

Variable Oyster Catcher

The variable oystercatcher is a stocky coastal bird with a long, bright orange bill, it is located on many quiet beaches such as Blackpool, Whakanewha and Anzac bay.

Bar-tailed Godwit

The Godwit is a migrant from Alaska, they fly 8-9 days straight to arrive in NZ. They can be found on Waiheke from September - March located at Blackpool.

Kaka

The Kaka is a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly, located in tree covered areas around Onetangi.

Common Myna

Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black head and shoulders. Commonly found on road sides on Waiheke, usually playing chicken with cars while foraging for food.

NZ Dotterel

The New Zealand Dotterel is a shorebird which breeds on beaches in NZ's North Island. Locations found on Waiheke are Whakanewha, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Spotted Turtle Dove

The spotted dove is a medium-sized, long-tailed dove, with a greyish head and speckled greyish brown upperparts. Found on Waiheke around gardens and the rooster reserve.

Little Shag

The little shag is a small shag, with a short yellow bill, black feet, a relatively long tail, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around Waiheke…

White-Eye

A small songbird, immediately recognisable by its distinctive white eye-ring. This quick little bird can be found feeding off flax and kowhais or fruit trees on Waiheke.

Wood Pigeon

The Wood pigeon is a large distinctively-coloured pigeon, it is easy to find on Waiheke due to its size, they are usually perched on powerlines or trees.

Tui

The Tui is a iridescent blue-green honeyeater with two curled white feather tufts on the throat. Locations found on Waiheke are around flaxes feeding off nectar.

White Faced Heron

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird usually spotted stalking prey. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac bay and quiet beaches.

Magpie

The Magpie is a large black-and-white songbird, It was introduced from Australia. It can be found on Waiheke around farmland and large grass reserves.

White Fronted Tern

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern commonly around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

Sacred Kingfisher

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches on waiheke.

Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull also known as a "Seagull" is common around New Zealand Coasts. Located everywhere on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

Australasian Gannet

The gannet is a large slender-bodied seabird with mainly white plumage, buff-yellow head and neck. Occassionally seen around Waiheke searching for food in ocean depths.

Breeding

Black-backed gulls are monogamous breeders. They share incubation and chick care.

Their nests are a bulky collection of grass, small sticks or seaweed, or a simple scrape in sand or shingle.

Laying is mainly in October-January. Incubation 23-26 days; chicks fledge at about 7-8 weeks old, and are fed by adults for at least another month.

Their Clutch is 2-3 large grey-green eggs with dark brown spots and blotches.

Food

Black-backed gulls are both predators and scavengers.

They catch and consume a wide range of marine and terrestrial invertebrates, fish, small mammals, birds and their eggs and chicks. They consume large quantities of organic waste from landfills and farms (e.g. docked lambs’ tails), plus offal from fishing boats and processing factories.

Waiheke Locations

Waiheke Beaches – Oneroa, Onetangi, Palm Beach etc ( If you have food with you they are usually overpowering red billed seagulls to grab whatever they can get (watch your food!)

Fishing Spots – Oh yes they are there too, they aren’t as beggy or cunning as the red billed gull but they aren’t afraid to fly at the line when casting or get any unwanted bait.

Garbage Dump – Found hanging around scavenging for their next meal inside the building or outside with the red billed gulls.

The Black-back gulls are flying birds so they can really be anywhere on Waiheke but not just Waiheke they are all over New Zealand, these are just areas I’ve spotted them and photographed.