Black Sea Bird
Here's a list of all the UK Black Sea Bird:
- Velvet Scoter
- Tufted Duck
- Storm Petrel
- Slavonian Grebe
- Sandwich Tern
- Razorbill
- Puffin
- Pomarine Skua
- Oystercatcher
- Long-Tailed Skua
- Long-Tailed Duck
- Little Auk
- Lesser Black-Backed Gull
- Leach’s Petrel
- Guillemot
- Grey Phalarope
- Great Skua
- Great Northern Diver
- Great Black-Backed Gull
- Eider
- Cormorant
- Common Tern
- Black Tern
- Black Guillemot
- Balearic Shearwater
- Arctic Skua
- Black-Headed Gull
Velvet Scoter
Velvet Scoters are remarkable for their bold, contrasting colours and robust build. Males are predominantly black with a distinctive white eye patch and a conspicuous white wing patch.
Their large, bulbous bill is a vivid yellow, adding a splash of colour to their otherwise dark plumage. Females, on the other hand, sport a more subdued brown colouration with paler head patches and white wing markings.
Both sexes showcase a hefty body and long wings, measuring around 51 to 58 cm in length with a wingspan stretching between 86 to 99 cm.
Differences Between Male and Female Velvet Scoters
Distinguishing male and female Velvet Scoters is quite straightforward.
Males boast a glossy black plumage with a yellow-edged bill and a unique white mark near the eye.
Females, however, are cloaked in dark brown with less pronounced white head patches and a darker bill. During flight, both genders reveal the characteristic white wing patches, a key identification feature of this species.
Learn moreTufted Duck
The Tufted Duck is a charming, medium-sized diving bird, slightly smaller than the familiar Mallard. Recognisable by their bold black and white colouring, the males boast a sleek black head, neck, breast, and back, contrasted by striking white sides.
Notably, both sexes flaunt a unique feather tuft at the back of their heads, with males displaying a more pronounced version. They have golden-yellow eyes and a small crest, with a notable white stripe across the wing in flight. Measuring 40-47 cm in length with a wingspan of 67-73 cm, they are a frequent sight across the UK’s water bodies.
Differences Between Male And Female Tufted Ducks
Males are distinguished by their stark black and white plumage and a blue-grey bill. In contrast, females wear a more subdued brown attire with paler flanks, occasionally showing white around the bill base. While the male is mostly silent, the female’s vocalisation is a distinctive, harsh “karr”, primarily heard in flight.
Learn moreStorm Petrel
Storm Petrels are charmingly petite seabirds, slightly larger than sparrows, with a distinct appearance. They exhibit a predominantly black colouration, contrasted by a striking white rump.
Unlike the Leach’s Petrel, their tails are square, not forked. When in flight, they are a sight to behold, fluttering just above the water with wings held high in a ‘V’ shape, their feet skimming the waves. These birds are social feeders, often seen in flocks, especially trailing behind ships in hopes of an easy meal.
Differences Between Male And Female Storm Petrels
Male and female Storm Petrels are quite similar in appearance, making it a challenge to differentiate between the two. Both share the same colouration and size, with a length of 14-18 cm and a wingspan of 36-39 cm.
Their plumage is a mix of brown, grey, black, and white, while their legs are a subtle brown.
Learn moreSlavonian Grebe
Slavonian Grebes are remarkable for their golden ear tufts, a feature that has earned them the nickname ‘horned grebe’ in America. These birds, comparable in size to a moorhen, boast a length of about 31-36 cm and a wingspan of 62cm.
Weighing around 410g, they have a distinctive appearance, especially in their breeding plumage, which includes golden ‘horns’, black cheeks, and a vibrant red neck and flanks. In contrast, their winter attire is a more subdued black and white, blending seamlessly with other grebe species.
Differences Between Male And Female Slavonian Grebes
Male and female Slavonian Grebes share similar plumage, with males being slightly larger and more vividly coloured. However, these differences are subtle, making it a bit of a challenge to distinguish between the two.
Learn moreSandwich Tern
Sandwich Terns are a captivating sight with their mostly white plumage contrasted by a striking black cap on their heads. They possess a distinctive black bill tipped with yellow and have short black legs.
When in flight, one can observe grey wedges on their wingtips and a forked tail. These birds are medium-sized and slender with long, pointed wings, making them a standout species in the UK, especially in nature reserves where they thrive.
Differences Between Male And Female Sandwich Terns
Interestingly, male and female Sandwich Terns share a similar appearance. Both genders boast the same colour patterns, with breeding adults showcasing a pale grey upper body, white underparts, and a black crest.
The key identifier when looking for Sandwich Terns, is their black bill with a yellow tip. The only notable difference is their size, with males generally being slightly larger than females.
Learn moreRazorbill
Razorbills are medium-sized seabirds, easily identified by their black upperparts and white underbelly. A defining feature is their thick, black beak, marked by a distinctive white line.
Measuring 37-39 cm in length with a wingspan of 63-67cm, they’re a sight to behold on the UK’s rocky coasts.
Differences Between Male And Female Razorbills
While male and female Razorbills are similar in plumage, males are generally larger. However, this size difference is subtle and can be challenging to discern in the field.
Learn morePuffin
Puffins, belonging to the genus Fratercula, are small, charming seabirds with a distinct appearance. They have black or black and white plumage, a stout build, and large, colourfully hued beaks during the breeding season.
Their short wings are designed for swimming underwater. When flying, they beat their wings rapidly, giving them a distinctive flight pattern.
Differences Between Male And Female Puffins
Male and female Puffins are similar in size and colouration. However, males generally have slightly larger bodies and beaks. The gender differences are subtle and often not easily discernible.
Learn morePomarine Skua
Pomarine Skuas are striking seabirds, easily identifiable by their size, being slightly smaller than herring gulls. Their most notable feature in adults is the long, spoon-shaped tail streamers.
They exhibit two colour morphs: light and dark. Light morphs have a dark cap and a white underbody, while dark morphs are mostly brownish-black.
Differences Between Male And Female Pomarine Skuas
In both light and dark morphs, males and females are similar in appearance. However, males may be slightly larger and have more pronounced tail streamers.
Learn moreOystercatcher
Oystercatchers are striking wading birds, easily identified by their black and white plumage, bright orange and red bill, and red-pink legs. When flying, they display a wide white wing, black tail, and white rump extending into a ‘V’ between their wings.
Differences Between Male And Female Oystercatchers
While males and females are similar in appearance, females typically have slightly longer bills and are heavier than their male counterparts.
Learn moreLong-Tailed Skua
The Long-Tailed Skua, the smallest skua species, is similar in size to a black-headed gull. It’s distinguished by its slim wings, sensitive tail streamers, and a graceful, greyish upper body contrasted with a dusky lower side and a palish breast. Notably, it sports a dark-coloured cap and bill.
Differences Between Male And Female Long-Tailed Skuas
Male and female Long-Tailed Skuas are similar in appearance, but juveniles are greyer with more pronounced stripe patterns, making them tricky to distinguish from young Arctic and Pomarine Skuas.
Learn moreLong-Tailed Duck
Long-Tailed Ducks are small, elegantly shaped sea ducks, notable for their round-shaped heads and steep foreheads. In winter, males are predominantly white with brown-black markings and exhibit remarkably elongated tail feathers, which are their namesake.
Females display a browner plumage. When flying, their dark wings contrast sharply with their white bellies.
Differences Between Male And Female Long-Tailed Ducks
Females are generally browner than males, who in winter boast a strikingly white appearance with distinct black markings.
Learn moreLittle Auk
Little Auks, resembling starlings in size, boast a distinctive black and white plumage. During flight, their dark underwings contrast starkly with their white underparts.
These birds are notable for their stubby black bill and short neck and tail, giving them a compact appearance. Their rapid wingbeats create a unique visual as they skim low over the sea’s surface.
Differences Between Male and Female Little Auks
Males and females are similar in appearance, both in their summer and winter plumages. However, upon closer inspection, females are slightly smaller and lighter than their male counterparts.
Learn moreLesser Black-Backed Gull
Lesser Black-Backed Gulls are medium-sized birds, smaller than Herring Gulls but larger than Ring-billed Gulls. They are characterised by their dark grey to black back and wings, contrasting with a white head and underparts.
Their bill is yellow with a red-coloured spot on the lower mandible, and their legs are a bright yellow, adding to their distinct appearance.
Differences Between Male And Female Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
There are no significant visual differences between male and female Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, making it challenging to distinguish them based on appearance alone.
Learn moreLeach’s Petrel
Leach’s Petrel is a small seabird, similar in size to a starling. Its distinctive features include a mostly black plumage with a notable white rump marked by a black line. The bird has a forked tail and is adept at fluttering flight, often seen skimming the ocean surface.
Differences Between Male And Female Leach’s Petrels
Male and female Leach’s Petrels are remarkably similar in appearance and size, making it challenging to distinguish between them based on sight alone.
Learn moreGuillemot
The Guillemot, a member of the auk species, is a distinctive seabird known for its summer breeding on land. It’s slightly bigger than the razorbill and sports a brown head and upper body with a contrasting white lower body.
In good light, you can discern its brown colouring, which often appears black from a distance. Notably, its head, neck, and long, slender black bill blend smoothly, and its short tail leaves its feet protruding in flight.
Differences Between Male And Female Guillemots
Males and females are similar in appearance, making it a challenge to distinguish them in the wild. Both genders share the characteristic brown and white plumage and sleek black bill, with subtle size differences.
Learn moreGrey Phalarope
Grey Phalaropes are small, charming waders with a unique appearance that varies dramatically between summer and winter.
In their breeding plumage, females are particularly colourful, displaying black upperparts that are streaked with cinnamon, and bright chestnut underparts. They have distinctive white wing bars that are visible when they’re flying. Males are similar but somewhat duller.
Outside of the breeding season, both sexes adopt a more subdued look, with blue-grey upperparts and white underparts, complemented by a black hind crown and eye-patch.
Differences Between Male And Female Grey Phalaropes
The most notable difference between the sexes is during breeding season, where females exhibit more vivid colouring with chestnut underparts and a more pronounced grey patch on the nape. Males, while similar in pattern, are overall less vibrant and have buffier white faces.
Learn moreGreat Skua
Great Skuas, with their scientific name Stercorarius skua, are formidable seabirds, roughly the size of a herring gull. They have a robust build and sport a predominantly dark plumage with striking white wing flashes visible in flight.
Adults are streaked greyish brown with a black cap, whereas juveniles are warmer brown without streaking below. Their powerful flight and short, blunt tail make them easily distinguishable.
Differences Between Male And Female Great Skuas
Males and females are similar in appearance, though females are typically a bit larger. Juveniles, in contrast, lack the adults’ streaking and are darker overall.
Learn moreGreat Northern Diver
The Great Northern Diver, the largest of the UK’s divers, stands out with its hefty head and bill. Adults divers in breeding plumage display black-coloured backs with white spots, a glossy black head, and a necklace-like pattern on the neck.
Their bill is stark black, deep red eyes, and their legs are dark. In winter, they transition to a brownish-grey upper body with a white underbelly. Juveniles resemble adults in non-breeding plumage but with additional buffy scales on their upper parts.
Differences Between Male And Female Great Northern Divers
Males and females are similar in appearance, though males are generally larger and heavier.
Learn moreGreat Black-Backed Gull
The Great Black-Backed Gull stands out as the largest member of the gull family.
Adults boast a striking black back and wings, contrasting sharply with their white head, neck, and underparts. This gull’s wingspan stretches an impressive 150 to 170 cm, and it has a robust, powerful build.
The gull’s hefty beak is yellow with a reddish spot on its lower mandible, while its legs are a soft pink.
Differences Between Male and Female Great Black-Backed Gulls
Males and females are similar in appearance, but males are generally larger. Both genders display the same distinctive black and white plumage and the characteristic yellow beak with a red spot.
Learn moreEider
Eiders are the UK’s heaviest and fastest-flying ducks, part of the genus Somateria.
Adult males are striking with a mix of black and white plumage and a distinctive sloping forehead that often extends almost to its crown. They boast a wingspan of 80-108 cm and can measure up to 71cm in length.
Eiders are easily recognisable by their size and unique bill shape.
Differences Between Male And Female Eiders
Male eiders are mostly white on their upper bodies and black below, with a black cap and pale green nape. The females, however, are warmish brown with dense black barring. Both sexes have a green to black beak and brown legs.
Learn moreCormorant
Cormorants are striking large, black waterbirds, easily spotted due to their size and colour.
With a wingspan of 130-160 cm and weighing between 2.1-2.5kg, they possess a reptilian-like neck and an almost prehistoric appearance. Their unique stance of standing with wings spread to dry is a familiar sight along UK coastlines.
Differences Between Male And Female Cormorants
Male and female Cormorants are similar in appearance, making it challenging to distinguish between them based on looks alone.
Learn moreCommon Tern
Common Terns are graceful birds, known for their pointed wingtips and long, narrow wings.
They sport a straight, slender bill and a characteristically forked tail, with short legs. This species exhibits a distinct size that’s bigger than a Least Tern but smaller than a Caspian Tern.
Differences Between Male And Female Common Terns
Both male and female Common Terns share a similar appearance. They are pale grey overall with a black-coloured cap.
Breeding birds display a fully black cap that extends to the back of their neck and a grey belly, complemented by an orange-coloured bill with a black tip and orange legs.
Learn moreBlack Tern
Black Terns are small terns distinguished by their all-black head and body, contrasting with grey wings, back, and tail in spring.
Come autumn, their upperparts turn grey, underparts white, and they sport distinctive black head markings. This Schedule 1 species occasionally breeds in the UK, making it a prized sighting for bird enthusiasts.
Differences Between Male And Female Black Terns
Male and female Black Terns share similar appearances, both donning black plumage with a large white wing patch in summer.
In winter, both sexes exhibit a white underbelly with grey upperparts.
Learn moreBlack Guillemot
Black Guillemots are easily recognisable, especially in summer, with their stark black and white feathers and striking red feet. They typically appear in smaller groups or individually all over rocky islets.
Found predominantly in western Scotland’s sea lochs and the northern and western isles, these birds also reside in Ireland, the Isle of Man, and some locations in Wales and England.
Differences Between Male And Female Black Guillemots
There’s little to distinguish males from females in the field, as both sexes don similar black summer plumage with prominent white wing patches. Their bill is black, and their feet are a vivid coral-red.
Learn moreBalearic Shearwater
Balearic shearwaters are medium-sized seabirds, measuring 34 to 39 cm in length with a wingspan of 78 to 90 cm.
These birds exhibit a distinctive flying style, gliding over the sea with stiff wings, their wingtips nearly skimming the water surface.
Their appearance shifts from dark brown to a lighter underside, creating a mesmerising visual effect against the backdrop of the ocean.
Differences Between Male and Female Balearic Shearwaters
Male and female Balearic shearwaters mostly look similar, but males are typically slightly larger.
Both genders have a similar colour pattern, with dark grey upperparts and a paler underbelly.
Learn moreArctic Skua
Arctic Skuas are medium-sized seabirds notable for their robust build and elongated wings.
They boast a predominantly dark brown plumage, contrasted by a distinctive white patch under their wings, visible during flight. Their facial features are marked by a striking white ‘eyebrow’ stripe above each eye and a sharply hooked bill.
During the breeding season, males may sport a reddish-brown band across their breast, adding to their distinctive appearance.
Differences Between Male and Female Arctic Skuas
Male and female Arctic Skuas can be distinguished by subtle differences during the breeding season. Typically, males develop a richer, reddish-brown tint on their breast, whereas females generally maintain a more uniform plumage.
Both sexes share the characteristic white wing patches and eyebrow stripes, making them equally striking.
Learn moreBlack-Headed Gull
The Black-Headed Gull is a medium-sized bird commonly found in the UK, showcasing a striking contrast of colours.
In the breeding season, its head dons a rich chocolate-brown hue, and its underparts turn a soft pink, influenced by its diet. With dark slate-grey wings, a sharp yellow bill, and vibrant red legs, this gull stands out in its natural habitat.
Out of breeding season, its head turns white, speckled with black, giving it a distinguished look amongst its peers.
Differences Between Male And Female Black-Headed Gulls
Male and female Black-Headed Gulls are similar in appearance, making it a challenge to distinguish between them solely based on plumage. Both sexes share the same seasonal colour changes and body markings, which include a summer chocolate-brown head and a winter white head with dark spots.
Learn more