Description: With a wingspan of up to 1.70 m and a weight of 2.1 kg, the Great black-backed gull is amongst the largest gulls in Svalbard, it is actually even slightly larger than the Glaucous gull, even though it is much less common. With its dark upper wings, the Great black-backed gull is easy to distinguish from the Glaucous gull with has silver-grey upper wings. The sexes look the same.
Distribution/migrations: The Great black-backed gull is at home rather in sub-arctic areas than in the high arctic, breeding on coastal rock cliffs in northwestern Europe. It is common in Iceland and northern Scandinavia. In Svalbard, it is breeding in small number, mostly on Bjørnøya (Bear Island).
Great black-backed gull (left) and Glaucous gull. Bear Island (Bjørnøya).
Biology: The Great black-backed gull is an opportunistic predatory bird just as the Glaucous gull and it will eat anything it can get: fish, mussels, zooplankton, eggs, chicks and small birds, mainly from Kittiwakes, Brünich’s guillemots and Little auks, but also adults of these species. Parts that can not be digested will be thrown up again.
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.