Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 13.4–14.6 in
34–37 cm - Wingspan
- 39.4–43.3 in
100–110 cm - Weight
- 6.7–14.1 oz
190–400 g
Other Names
- Common Black-headed Gull
- Mouette rieuse (French)
Cool Facts
- The Black-headed Gull is a rare visitor to North America, turning up in small numbers along the northern Atlantic Coast. Records began to increase in the mid-1900s, and the first nesting attempt was discovered in Newfoundland in 1977.
- In Europe the Black-headed Gull is found scavenging in flocks in parks, but it is rarely found in this situation in North America. Perhaps this difference is because it usually is found associating with large flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls, which do not eat refuse or scavenge food from people.
- The Black-headed Gull is one of the few hooded gulls that does not actually have a black head during breeding. Its hood is dark chocolate brown.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Breeds along lakes, rivers, bogs, moors, grasslands, swamps, and coastal marshes. In winter, found primarily along seacoasts, estuaries, and bays.
Food
Omnivore
Insects, worms, fish, mice, garbage, some seeds and berries.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–4 eggs
- Egg Description
- Dull green to gray, blotched with brown.
- Condition at Hatching
- Semiprecocial with eyes open. Covered in down. Able to stand within a day, but usually remain quiet in nest for a week.
Nest Description
Shallow scrape lined with pieces of vegetation; in wet sites, built up into substantial mound. Placed on ground in low vegetation.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages while walking or swimming. Flies along and plucks food from surface of water, or plunges into water to pick food from water. Follows plows. Catches flying insects on the wing.
Conservation
Least Concern
Abundant and expanding range in Europe.