Black-headed Gull (Juvenile)

Adults in breeding plumage have a dark chocolate-brown head, white body, pale grey wings with black wingtips, and red bill and legs. Non-breeding adults lose the dark head, showing only dark ear-spots. Juveniles, as shown in the image, have brownish mottling on the mantle and wing coverts, a dusky band across the hindneck, and a paler bill with a dark tip.

Small size, pale grey mantle, dark ear-spot on the side of the white head, reddish-pink legs, and dark-tipped bill in juveniles; distinctive triangular white wedge on the outer primary feathers visible in flight.

Length: 35-43 cm, Wingspan: 94-105 cm, Weight: 225-350 g.

A harsh, distinctive laughing or scolding call, often rendered as 'kree-ar' or 'kak-kak-kak'.

Omnivorous; feeds on insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, and small marine invertebrates. Forages by picking items from the surface of water, ground, or ploughed fields, and occasionally aerial hawking.

Inland wetlands, lakes, rivers, marshes, coastal estuaries, agricultural lands, and urban areas such as parks and garbage dumps.

Partial migrant. Northern populations migrate south for the winter, while western and southern European populations are largely resident.

Breeds in colonies near water, typically on the ground among dense vegetation or on floating mats of reeds. Builds a cup nest out of plant material. Clutch size is usually 2 to 3 eggs, incubated by both parents for about 22-26 days.

Bonaparte's Gull (smaller with a thinner bill and different underwing pattern) and Mediterranean Gull (larger with a heavier red bill and completely white wingtips in adults). Juvenile Black-headed Gulls are distinguished by their specific wing pattern and dark nape band.

Acts as an opportunistic predator and scavenger, helping regulate insect populations and clearing organic waste in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Least Concern, with a large and stable or increasing global population trend.

Easily observed near lakes, rivers, agricultural fields, and urban parks. They are quite habituated to humans and will readily approach for food.

Despite their name, adult Black-headed Gulls actually have dark brown heads, not black, and they only sport this coloration during the summer breeding season. They are also known for noisy, aggressive mobbing behavior to drive off predators from their nesting colonies.