Page 208 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Order Charadriiformes Family Laridae Species Larus ridibundus
Black-headed Gull brown on neck
and back

white front of outer wings dark brown
hood
white outer edge
black on
trailing of dark grey
edge underwings very pale deep JUVENILE black-
grey back red bill tipped
ADULT bill
(WINTER) neck and back
become grey
brown band
IN FLIGHT
on wings
long, dark wing
point
orange-
buff legs
IMMATURE
(1ST WINTER)
white head with
dark ear spot deep red white front
legs
of wings
vivid red dark rear
bill edge
vivid red
legs
dark tail tip
ADULT ADULT (SUMMER)
(WINTER) IMMATURE
(1ST WINTER)
ommon and familiar, this is a small, agile, very white-looking
C gull and is never truly black-headed: it is one of the “hooded”
gulls with a dark brown head when breeding but a pale head with FLIGHT: light, buoyant, very agile; glides a lot;
a dark ear spot in other plumages. Its dark underwing gives a steady beats of pointed wings.
flickering effect in flight. It has always been a frequent bird inland,
by no means confined to the sea or the coast. Numbers have increased somewhat
with extra reservoirs and flooded pits providing safe roosts and refuse tips offering
an abundance of food.
VOICE Loud, squealing, laughing, and chattering calls, kwarrr, kee-arr, kwuk, kuk-kuk.
NESTING Pile of stems on ground in vegetation, on marsh; 2 or 3 eggs; 1 brood;
May–June.
FEEDING Takes worms, seeds, fish, and insects, from ground and water; catches
insects in flight.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds from coastal marshes to
MEDITERRANEAN GULL black head bigger and LITTLE GULL rounder small upland pools, widespread but local.
summer; darker wings; see p.213 head
see p.208 Often numerous and widespread
pale wingtips at other times, from coasts to farm-
thicker
bill smaller land, reservoirs, refuse tips, and
black along rivers through towns and
wingtips with
white spots cities; in summer, even high on hills.
white COMMON GULL Seen in the UK
wingtips see p.207 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 34–37cm (13 1 ⁄2 –14 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 1–1.1m (3 1 ⁄4 –3 1 ⁄2ft) Weight 225–350g (8–13oz)
Social Large flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure
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