Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

(last update: 19-03-2014)

Black-headed Gull - 1cy November

Introduction

The Black-headed Gull is a small gull, common and widespread in Europe and Asia all the way to the east through the Russian steppe-belt into Kamtchatka. It winters south along the west coast of Africa, the Mediterranean and the east coast of Africa, the Arabian peninsular, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. A key characteristic is the white on the outer primaries which is very distinctive in flight, even from a great distance.
The Black-headed Gull reaches the adult plumage in second winter: 3cy (third-calendar year) birds are hardly distinguishable from adults.

Most of the description on these pages follows from P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification".

1cy Black-headed Gull in November

In November, first-calendar year Black-headed Gulls are in full "first winter" or "formative" plumage. This plumage is characterized as follows:

• The mantle and scapular feathers are gray (as adult), while some brown, juvenile feathers can be retained
• The head is white with a black ear spot, combined with a faint band across the crown, as well as a faint band from eye to eye across the top of the head (as adult)
• Faintly gray shine extending from the mantle to the lower neck and sides of the breast
• The body is white
• The bill is orange with a black tip
• The legs are orange
• Moult has not taken place in the wing and tail feathers and therefore remain first-generation. Sometimes though, some lesser and medium coverts are moulted to second-generation, gray feathers (as adult)

In flight, the dark carpal bar on the upper wing stands out, formed by the lesser- and medium coverts. The trailing edge is black, similar to the tail edge (the outer tail feathers of some individuals are completely white). The primaries have a white base, extending in a drop-shape to a black tip. The outer primaries usually have small white tips.