Bird name:

Black-headed Gull

Larus ridibundus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

BHGU

Code 6

LARRID

ITIS

176835

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Marshes, freshwater

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Yes but uncommon

Egg Color:

Gray green or yellow with brown and olive marks

Number of Eggs:

2 - 4

Incubation Days:

21 - 27

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Dead plants.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Black-headed Gull: Medium-sized gull with pale gray back and upperwings and dark brown face and partial hood. Nape, neck, breast, belly, and tail are white. Bill and legs are dark red. Wings have white triangular panel formed at the leading edge of black-tipped primaries in flight. Sexes are similar. Winter adult lacks black hood and face but has black spot behind eye. Juvenile has brown back, shoulders, and wings, constrasting black terminal band on white tail, dark-tipped pale bill, and pale orange legs; gradually exhibits varying degrees of adult plumage over two years.

Range and Habitat

Black-headed Gull: Breeds from southern Greenland through most of Europe and central Asia to Kamchatka and northeast China. Spends winters in west and east Africa, Malaysia and the Philippines. In North America breeds along Atlantic coast from Labrador, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia south to New York (Long Island), rarely farther south and west, and in Old World. Nests in coastal and freshwater marshes, gravel pits, and lakes; spends winters on estuaries, inland wetlands, reservoirs, ploughed fields, pastures, and landfills.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-headed Gull: Two to four gray green or yellow eggs marked with brown and olive are laid in a scrape on the ground or on a pile of dead plant material. Incubation ranges from 21 to 27 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-headed Gull: Feeds on insects, worms, carrion and scraps, scavenges on household and industrial waste, and steals food from other birds.

Vocalization

Black-headed Gull: Gives a variety of calls, including a harsh "kree-aaa."

Similar Species

Black-headed Gull: Bonaparte's Gull has dark bill in all plumages and is pale under primaries. Adult Little Gull lacks black on upper surface of wings and has dark bill and underwings.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Primaries

The primaries are the flight feathers specialized for flight. They are attached to the "hand" equivalent part of the wing.

Terminal band

Refers to the contrasting stripe at the tip of the tail.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America