Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus(last update: |
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Moderators: BHG 1cy May BHG 2cy January BHG adult January |
Black-headed Gull - 1cy SeptemberIntroduction 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. Most of the description on these pages follows from P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification". 1cy Black-headed Gull in September Immediately after a Black-headed Gull abandons its nest, the post-juvenile moult begins (moult into "first winter" or "formative" plumage). This phase starts with the mantle and scapular feathers and is normally completed by September. During this moult, the following parts are replaced:
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 and can have a large amount of black in the outer web, thickest on the mid-part. Black-headed Gulls in September, compared by age group
| Black-headed Gull 1cy. September 5, 2009, Leiden, The Netherlands (52.157N, 4.494E) Photo: Maarten van Kleinwee. |
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Black-headed Gull 1cy September 23, 2009, Barneveld waste dump, The Netherlands (52.166N, 5.621E) Photo: Maarten van Kleinwee. |
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