Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

(last update: 19-03-2014)

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Black-headed Gull - 2cy June

This section deals with second-calendar year Black-headed Gulls in the month of June.

Introduction

From June, second-calendar year Black-headed Gulls undergo a complete moult into ’adult winter plumage’. This second winter plumage is adult like but a small minority of gulls can be distinguished as ‘second winter plumage’ from 2cy August-3cy February by dark markings on tertials, outer primary coverts and alula.

Moulting into second winter is usually 3-4 weeks earlier than in adults. Most Black-headed Gulls are in coimplete winter plumage from mid-August:

  • Head from early June, majority have winterhead mid-July;
  • Primary-moult slower than in adult
    • P1: mid may- early July
    • P3-4: mid-July
    • P5-7: late July
    • P9-10: mid-July- late August
  • Secondaries: June-late July, starting when primary moult has reached around P5
  • Median coverts: late July- mid August
  • Tail: late June- August

Adult winter plumage is characterized as follows:   

  • Head: white with dark ear spots and traces of vertical bars above eyes. Moult of head starts with forehead, developing backwards.
  • Hindneck and underbody: white
  • Bare parts: bill deep red with dark tip, legs dark reddish, iris dark brown
  • Upperwing ‘tricoloured’:
    • p7-p10: white (with black edge of outer web not reaching tip on p10)
    • p5-p10: black-tipped, extending on to inner edge of inner web
    • p4-p7: with white extreme tip
    • p1-p6: grey with blackish-grey innerwebs on p1-p5
    • secondaries: grey with white tips
  • Underwing: outer primaries white, dark tipped, mid primaries dark
  • Tail: all white

Most of the description follows: 
P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification".
K.M.Olsen: “Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America”.

1cy Black-headed Gull in July. (85237 bytes)Black-headed Gull 2cy with extremely dark bill and legs
June 1, 2011, Oosterpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (52.361N, 4.923E)
Photo: Ruud Altenburg.
1cy Black-headed Gull in July. (85237 bytes)Black-headed Gull 2cy
June 13, 2009, Starrevaart, Leidschendam, The Netherlands (52.10N 04.43E)
Photo: Maarten van Kleinwee.
1cy Black-headed Gull in July. (85237 bytes)Black-headed Gull 2cy
June 27, 2010, Starrevaart, Leidschendam, The Netherlands (52.10N 04.43E)
Photo: Maarten van Kleinwee.