Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Black-headed gull

Chroicocephalus (Larus) ridibundus

Description:

As is the case with many gulls, it had previously been placed in the genus Larus. This gull is 38–44 cm (15-17½ in) long with a 94–105 cm (37–41 in) wingspan. In flight, the white leading edge to the wing is a good field mark. The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, despite the name), pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just dark vertical streaks. This is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call. Its scientific name means "laughing gull".

Habitat:

Is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident. Some birds will also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the Common Black-headed Gull. It breeds in colonies in large reedbeds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts. The Black-headed Gull is a bold and opportunist feeder and will eat insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps and carrion in towns, or take invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish.

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

2 Comments

The MnMs
The MnMs 12 years ago

Thanks! I think they are wintering here in the lakes :-)

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

Lovely pictures!

The MnMs
Spotted by
The MnMs

Oud-Heverlee, Vlaanderen, Belgium

Spotted on Oct 23, 2011
Submitted on Oct 30, 2011

Related Spottings

Silver gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 紅嘴鷗 Black-headed Gull Gaivota de Cabeça Negra

Nearby Spottings

Wake Robin Pond slider Yellow-bellied slider Wood mouse

Reference

Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team