Page 210 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Order Charadriiformes Family Laridae Species Larus melanocephalus
Mediterranean Gull mottled back

white wingtips
long black wingtips
white
underwings
dark patch JUVENILE
ADULT
(WINTER) around eye
white eyelids
greyish around
nape
thick, red to
black bill
IN FLIGHT
white wingtips
with no black
IMMATURE
black spots (2ND WINTER)
on white
wingtips
red to
black legs black hood; white
white eyelids
wingtips

ADULT
(WINTER) ADULT
(SUMMER)
ifty years ago, this beautiful gull seemed to be dwindling
Ftowards eventual oblivion, but recently its numbers have staged
a remarkable recovery; it has spread, albeit patchily, to areas of FLIGHT: easy, graceful but quite stiff beats of
western Europe far beyond its previous range.Along the North straight wings; not much gliding or soaring.
Sea and English Channel coasts, it has become a regular non-
breeding visitor, and now nests in a number of Black-headed Gull
colonies. It is a tricky bird to find among large numbers of more
common gulls in some plumages, but breeding plumage adults are
highly distinctive.
VOICE Nasal, rising and falling eeu-err eeu-err.
NESTING Grass-lined nest on sand, shingle, or in
marsh; 3 eggs; 1 brood; May–June.
FEEDING Forages for fish, aquatic invertebrates,
worms, and offal on beaches, and in tips, fields, and
sewage outflows. OCCURRENCE
Breeds on shallow lagoons and
SIMILAR SPECIES coastal marshes, scattered and
rare in W Europe, more common
brown hood COMMON GULL immature, in SE. In winter, on estuaries,
black similar to immature; beaches, lakes, harbours, and at
wingtips see p.207
times at tips but rare far inland,
thinner IMMATURE mostly in E Europe, increasing in
bill
The immature (1st winter) has a NW Europe, especially English
BLACK-HEADED GULL dark mask, a pale grey panel on Channel region.
summer, similar the upperwing, and black wingtips
to adult summer; darker grey and tail tip. Common Gull Seen in the UK
see p.206 back J F M A M JJ A S O N D
immatures are darker on the back.
Length 36–38cm (14–15in) Wingspan 0.98–1.05m (3 1 ⁄4 –3 1 ⁄2ft) Weight 200–350g (7–13oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure
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