Black-headed Gull
Summer Plumage
The adult Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is best identified by its namesake hood, which is actually a dark chocolate-brown color rather than true black. This breeding plumage is typically fully developed by late spring and is lost by mid-July, transitioning into a white winter head with a characteristic dark "ear spot".
Key Features of Summer (Breeding) Plumage:
Seasonal Transition:
Key Features of Summer (Breeding) Plumage:
- The Hood: A dark chocolate-brown mask that covers the face and forehead, ending just behind the eyes and on the upper throat.
- Eye Markings: Thin, white crescent-shaped arcs are visible above and below the dark eyes, contrasting sharply against the brown hood.
- Bill and Legs: In the breeding season, both the slender bill and the legs turn a deep, vivid red.
- Body and Wings: The back and upper wings remain a pale silvery-grey, while the neck, breast, and underparts are pure white.
- Wingtips: The primary feathers have prominent black tips, and a distinctive white leading edge is visible on the wings during flight.
Seasonal Transition:
- Timing: The moult into summer plumage begins as early as December and is usually complete by April.
- First-Year Birds: Juvenile birds in their first summer often show a partial or less developed hood, which may be mixed with white flecking, and they retain brown markings on their wings from their juvenile stage.
- Winter Appearance: By late summer, the brown hood is lost, leaving the head mostly white except for a dark smudge behind each eye.
Winter Plumage
In winter, the Black-headed Gull's distinctive chocolate-brown head from summer disappears, leaving a mostly white head with dark smudges behind the eye and sometimes above it, resembling headphones, while its body remains white with pale grey wings and black wingtips, and its bill and legs are duller red.
Key Features in Winter Plumage:
Identification Tips:
Key Features in Winter Plumage:
- Head: Predominantly white with dark, smudged markings near the ear coverts (behind the eye) and sometimes above the eye, giving it a "headphone" look.
- Body: White underparts, white neck, and a pale grey back and wings.
- Wings: Black wingtips with a distinctive white leading edge (outer primary) visible in flight.
- Bill & Legs: Darker red than in summer, often with a dark tip on the bill.
Identification Tips:
- Look for the spots: The dark ear spots are the key giveaway for winter plumage.
- Check the wings: That white leading edge on the wing is a classic feature.
- Note the bill: A duller red bill with a dark tip is typical for winter.