The little gull known as the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) breeds throughout much of Europe and Asia’s Palearctic, as well as in lower numbers locally in eastern Canada’s coastal regions. Many of them stay in the milder regions of northwest Europe, but the majority migrate and spend the winter further south. The gull weighs 166–400 g. Males (186–400 g) are typically heavier than females (166–350 g), though there is a significant overlap.
Aerial Hunter The sea gull hovers, preparing for dive.
In winter, the hood disappears, leaving only two black patches behind and above the eye. Winter plumage occurs from late July to March or April, while summer plumage occurs from March to July (occasionally from late January and into August). For the first month or two after they fly, juvenile birds have a black band on the tail and a mottled pattern of brown spots over the majority of their body.
Wetland Flight The black-headed gull flies gracefully over wetlands.
In late summer, they change into first-winter plumage, which has a grey back but still has a brown carpal bar on the inner wing, blackish secondary feathers, and the black band on the tail. They grow a partial brown hood during their first summer (about one year old), though the degree varies greatly from person to person, ranging from nearly no brown on the head to a hood resembling that of an adult.
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