| Black-headed Gull | |
|---|---|
 adult in winter plumage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Chroicocephalus |
| Species: | Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
The Black-headed Gull, or Chroicocephalus ridibundus, is a very common Eurasian gull.
They are easy to recognize because of their black heads, which give them their name. However, these gulls only have black heads in summer, so bear this in mind when not birdwatching in summer.
Taxonomy[]
Like most other gulls, this species was placed in the genus Larus until 2005-2007, when Larus was found to be polyphyletic and subsequently split into several other genera including Chroicocephalus. The genus's name is Greek for "coloured head", whilst the specific name ridibundus is Latin for "laughing". Chroicocephalus ridibundus has two subspecies:
- Chroicocephalus ridibundus ridibundus, which breeds throughout western Europe and Central Asia from Iceland to northern Mongolia, and winters south to west Africa, Persian Gulf, northern India, SE Asia and eastern China;
- Chroicocephalus ridibundus sibiricus, which breeds in northeastern Siberia from the Kolyma Delta to the Kamchatka Peninsula, and winters south to Sakhalin, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and coastal China including Hong Kong
Appearance[]
The head of this bird in breeding plumage often appears black, but upon closer inspection, is revelated to be dark brown.
A fairly small gull, the Black-headed Gull is about 37 cm long and has an 86-99 cm wingspan. The adult has a mostly white plumage, with light grey upperwings and a white leading edge to the outer wing, which makes it easy to identify in flight. As previously mentioned, this gull has a distinctive dark brown head in the summer. When the gull loses this "hood", only the ear coverts remain black. The young has a black trailing wing edge, a black tail tip, and brown markings on the wing coverts. The bill is fine and pointed, red in color with a black tip. The legs and feet are also red.
Voice[]
An extremely noisy bird, the Black-headed Gull gives a variety of loud, strident, high-pitched shrieks, some of which may resemble laughter, hence the Latin name ridibundus. Flocks become particularly vocal when feeding.
Habits[]
Black-headed gulls (and other birds) feeding on the lake
Black-headed Gulls making loud calls while feeding.
The Black-headed Gull is a gregarious bird that nests in colonies and forages in large flocks. Along with the Herring Gull and the Yellow-legged Gull, it is one of the gull species most frequently seen around humans and in urban areas. Flocks of Black-headed Gulls being fed by people are a common sight in British parks. In flight, this bird appears slower than a tern, but faster and lighter than a Herring Gull, and much more agile, being able to perform sudden maneuvers and to snatch food in mid-air. Flocks often travel in a V-shape.
The Black-headed Gulls often shares its habitat with larger gulls and corvids, and these species are often seen feeding together. Due to its small size, however, the Black-headed gull is often bullied by larger gulls, which also prey on its eggs and chicks.
Feeding[]
This bird's diet is made up mainly of small fish, molluscs and crustaceans. However, it is also an agile flier, and will often be seen hawking insects. Being an adaptable and opportunistic species, this gull will feed both in water and on land, often gathering in flocks on fields and meadows to hunt insects. It will also look for food in rubbish dumps and eat food fed to it by humans.
Nesting[]
Adult and chicks at the nest.
The pairs begin forming around late April. The Black-headed Gull usually nests in large colonies near coastal areas, in marshes or near lakes. The colonies vary in size, but the largest may count thousands of individuals. The nest is mostly made out of plant material and feathers. It lays 2 or 3 eggs which are pale blue or brown with markings. Incubation, in which both parents take part, lasts for 21-27 days. The young fledge 5-6 weeks after hatching. The gull breeds once a year.
Distribution[]
Found in Europe, north Africa, central Asia, the Indian Ocean coast and the Pacific Asian coast, the Black-headed Gull frequents coastal areas, lakes, marshes, open fields (preferably in humid areas), parks and urban areas. The Black-headed Gull started to move inland about 100 years ago. Initially only a winter visitor to towns, returning to the coast to breed, it began to nest inland in small numbers, eventually becoming the common bird it is today.
Gallery[]
