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Black-headed Gull

Silhouette GullsGulls
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • ORDER: Charadriiformes
  • FAMILY: Laridae

Basic Description

Raucous Black-headed Gulls are common sights and sounds across much of Europe and Asia. The head is actually dark brown rather than black in summer, molting to dusky white in winter. This highly adaptable species breeds in freshwater wetlands and winters in sheltered coastal areas, but it is also at home in city parks, agricultural fields, and garbage dumps. The European breeding population exploded and expanded in the 20th century, colonizing Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland in limited numbers and becoming a rare but regular winter visitor to eastern North America.

More ID Info
image of range map for Black-headed Gull
Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
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Other Names

  • Gaviota Reidora (Spanish)
  • Mouette rieuse (French)
  • Cool Facts