Population status

Lesser Black-backed Gull
(Larus fuscus)

Christmas Bird Count results for Canada and from throughout North America suggest a steady increase in abundance since 1970. However, these data cover only a small portion of the species’ North American range and it is unclear how well they reflect the population in Canada, thus the reliability of this assessment is considered low. The worldwide population of Lesser Black-backed Gull has been estimated at 250,000-300,000 breeding pairs (Olsen and Larsson 2004) and has generally increased in numbers and distribution during the recent past, with some exceptions (Calladine 2004). A relatively small number of birds of the L. f. graellsii/intermedius subspecies is thought to travel to the Atlantic coast of North America where they have become increasingly common winter migrants since the first record in 1934 (Olsen and Larsson 2004). The Lesser Black-backed Gull's increasing occurrence in the western Atlantic is likely a reflection of increases in global population numbers and range.
 

 

Picture of logo Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Additional information on: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Table 1: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime PeriodAnnual trend Table 1 - footnote 1 Limits
LowerUpper
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 1965-2012; Christmas Bird Count (CBC)1965-201211.97.417.4
 

References