Common Black-headed Gull

(Larus ridibundus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Adult Winter Plumage

Color Photograph: Chan Robbins, U.S. Geological Survey

Adult Summer Plumage

Color Drawing: F.O. Morris

Common Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 15 inches.

Adult Summer Plumage: A large, black-headed gull. Head black with a white ring around the eye. Bill red to yellow. Neck white. Back and most of wing light gray. Entire leading edge of the wing and the apical two-thirds of the wing white. Primary feathers (the large, apical wing feathers) tipped with black. Underside and tail white. Feet dull red.

Adult Winter Plumage: Similar to the summer plumage, but head white with a dull, dark gray spot behind the eye.

Immature: Head white with a dull, dark gray spot behind the eye. Back gray. Wings mostly white, but shading to gray along the rear margin. Basal half of wing with a brown, mottled band running from the base to the wrist. Apical wing feathers tipped with black. Tail with a terminal black band.

Similar Species:  The Common Black-headed Gull is a winter stray to the east coast of North America from its breeding grounds in the Old World. It is almost always found in groups of Bonaparte's Gulls and the two species can be difficult to tell apart. Bonaparte's Gull is a smaller species (12 to 14 inches in length). Its bill is black, not yellow to red. The white markings on the wing extend only to the wrist and not along the entire leading edge of the wing.

Breeding Range: The Common Black-headed Gull breeds in northern Europe and Asia, extending as far west as Iceland.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters throughout Europe and Asia migrating as far south as Africa and southern Asia. Scatttered individuals sometimes make it to the eastern shores of North America.

Habitat: The Common Black-headed Gull is a rare visitor to coastal bays, estuaries, and harbors.

Food: Aquatic invertebrates and fish.

Behavior: The Common Black-headed Gull is almost always found in the company of Bonaparte's Gulls, its North American look-alike. The species is one of the most common of the European Gulls. The voice is a sharp kwup.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 4 black-spotted tan eggs. The eggs are laid in a nest lined with sticks, grass, or seaweed. The nest is placed in a variety of places including in trees, bushes, or on the ground.