Black-headed Gull Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Bonaparte's Gull
Breeding adult
Bonaparte's Gulls are slightly smaller with smaller bills and darker upperparts than Black-headed Gulls, which have larger, reddish bills. On breeding Bonaparte's the dark hood comes farther down the neck than Black-headed.
© Yvonne Bieman | Macaulay LibraryOntario, July 23, 2017Similar Species
Bonaparte's Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Smaller, more slender-billed, and darker above than Black-headed Gull. Nonbreeding Bonaparte's have white, not black, on the undersides of the wingtips.
© Caleb Putnam | Macaulay LibraryMichigan, November 27, 2016Similar Species
Bonaparte's Gull
First winter
Bonaparte's Gulls are smaller with a smaller bill than Black-headed Gulls. Note the pale undersides to the wingtips in Bonaparte's; they're black in Black-headed. In immature Bonaparte's, the inner primaries are black only at the tip (trailing edge of outer wing); in immature Black-headed, the black extends up toward the wrist of the wing.
© Brendan Klick | Macaulay LibraryMichigan, September 09, 2017Similar Species
Bonaparte's Gull
Juvenile
Juvenile Bonaparte's Gull is smaller and has a more slender bill than Black-headed Gull.
© Brandon Holden | Macaulay LibraryOntario, August 06, 2007Similar Species
Little Gull
Breeding adult
Little Gulls are smaller than Black-headed Gulls with short, slight bills. Breeding Little Gulls have dark underwings outlined with a white trailing edge, while Black-headed has pale underwings.
© Ian Davies | Macaulay LibrarySouth Karelia, June 07, 2015Similar Species
Little Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Little Gulls lack the Black-headed's white triangles in the outer wing.
© Brandon Holden | Macaulay LibraryOntario, November 08, 2005Similar Species
Little Gull
First summer
Best told by size and shape: Little Gulls are much smaller with short, thin bills, while Black-headed is larger with long, slender wings and a heavier bill.
© Yann Kolbeinsson | Macaulay LibraryNorðurland eystraSimilar Species
Little Gull
Juvenile
Juvenile Little Gulls have more extensive black in the M pattern on the wings than juvenile Black-headed. They are smaller, stockier, and shorter-winged than Black-headed.
© Nick Saunders | Macaulay LibrarySaskatchewan, October 13, 2013Similar Species
Black-legged Kittiwake
Nonbreeding adult
Black-legged Kittiwakes have a stout yellow bill and gray wings with black wingtips, while nonbreeding Black-headed Gulls have a slender blackish bill and white triangles in the upper side of the outer wing.
© Matt Brady | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 08, 2012Similar Species
Black-legged Kittiwake
Immature
Immature Black-legged Kittiwakes have a dark ear spot and dark collar behind it; Black-headed Gulls lack the collar. The trailing edge of immature kittiwake's wing is white, creating a high-contrast M pattern, whereas in Black-headed the trailing edge is marked with black.
© Evan Lipton | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 10, 2015Similar Species
Franklin's Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding Franklin's Gulls have thicker white arcs above and below the eye and a black (not dark brown) head compared to Black-headed Gull.
© Brad Argue | Macaulay LibraryHawaii, May 21, 2016Similar Species
Franklin's Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Franklin's Gulls have more black smudging on the head than nonbreeding Black-headed Gulls. In flight, Franklin's lack the white leading edge of the flight feathers seen on Black-headed Gulls.
© Brian Sullivan | Macaulay LibraryGuanacaste, November 11, 2008Similar Species
Laughing Gull
Breeding adult
Laughing Gulls have a heavier and brighter red bill than breeding Black-headed Gulls. Their head is also darker black than Black-headed Gulls.
© Jacques Ibarzabal | Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 20, 2017Similar Species
Laughing Gull
First winter
First winter and nonbreeding Laughing Gulls have dark flight feathers as seen from above and below, unlike Black-headed Gulls that have a white leading edge the primaries.
© James Rieman | Macaulay LibraryTexas, September 17, 2017Main Species
Black-headed Gull
Breeding adult
Fairly small Eurasian gull with a thin bill. Breeding adults have a dark brown partial hood and white eye arcs.
© Lukasz Pulawski | Macaulay LibraryScotland, July 17, 2016Breeding adult
A Eurasian gull that breeds along lakes, rivers, bogs, moors, grasslands, swamps, and coastal marshes.
© Steve Kelling | Macaulay LibraryNidwalden, March 10, 2016Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adults have dark smudging above and behind the eye and a dusky-tipped red bill.
© Shawn Billerman | Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 30, 2016Immature
Fairly small gull of the Old World. Immatures have two smudgy spots on the head, one above the eye and one behind the eye. Note somewhat thin dusky-tipped red bill.
© Christoph Moning | Macaulay LibraryBayern, February 04, 2018Breeding adult
Breeding adults in flight have a white leading edge that contrasts with dark primaries.
© Ian Davies | Macaulay LibraryNorrbottens län [SE-25], June 19, 2015Nonbreeding adult
Rare visitor to North America. In flight, note white leading edge of the wing that contrasts with the dark primaries.
© Nicole Desnoyers | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 04, 2017Immature
Medium sized and fairly slender gull. Immatures have dark-tipped primary feathers and two smudgy spots on the head, one above the eye and one behind the eye. Note white on the leading edge of the wing.
© Patrick J. Blake | Macaulay Libraryİstanbul, December 25, 2015Juvenile
Juveniles are mottled brown, gray, and white. Note dark tail tip, pale bill, and white leading edge on the wing.
© Jim Sweeney | Macaulay LibraryNorðurland eystra, July 09, 2014Flock
In winter, found primarily along seacoasts, estuaries, and bays often in flocks.
© Josip Turkalj | Macaulay LibraryGrad Zagreb, December 18, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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