Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

(last update: 3-04-2011)

Moderators:
Tim Audenaert
Maarten van Kleinwee

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BHG 2cy January
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BHG adult January
BHG adult Febuary
BHG adult March
BHG adult April
BHG adult May
BHG adult June
BHG adult July
BHG adult August
BHG adult September
BHG adult October
BHG adult November
BHG adult December

Below: Black-headed Gull,December 24, 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

First-calendar year Black-headed Gull in advanced first-winter (formative) plumage. During the post-juvenile moult, normally all feathers are replaced except those on the wings and in the tail. The body and head turn completely white, leaving a head pattern similar to adults (with a black ear spot and faint bars from ear to ear and eye to eye across the head). The legs turn orange and the bill orange with a white tip.

This individual displays an unusual advanced moult, in which most (if not all) of the wing coverts and tertials have been replaced by gray, second-generation feathers. Aging this individual is done based on the orange legs, orange bill with black tip, first-generation primaries and dark tail band (not visible in this image).