Portuguese ringed LBBG at Belfast Lough

Lesser Black-backed Gulls are primarily a summer visitor to Northern Ireland, with our breeding birds spending the winter in Iberia and north Africa. Although a small number of birds can be found overwintering here, especially around Lough Neagh, these are thought to be from the Icelandic population.

Gareth was out along the shores along Belfast Lough earlier this month when he photographed a Lesser Black-backed Gull with a colour-ring.

Photo by Gareth Platt

Reporting his sighting, he heard back that F461 had been ringed in southern Portugal in November 2014. Interestingly, this bird was rehabilitated at RIAS, a wild animal rehabilitation and investigation centre. It doesn't seem to have suffered any lasting effects from its time in rehab, travelling over 1,900 km (at least!). 

Gareth's re-sighting is the first since ringing.