The Great Black-Backed Gull, takes flight in the Long Island Sound near Old Saybrook, CT.
Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean lying between the eastern shores of New York City, Bronx & Westchester Counties and the entire shore of Connecticut to the north, and the North Shore of Long Island, to the south. It stretches 110 miles from the East River in New York City to Block Island Sound and is 21 miles at its widest point and varies in depth from 65 to 230 feet.
There are six broad categories of bird habitats near Long Island Sound including: open water areas, tidal marshes, mudflats, sandy beaches, offshore islands; and mainland woodlands sand fields. The great black-backed gull is the largest member of the gull family. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and is fairly sedentary. It is among the year-round resident birds of the Long Island Sound.