Black-headed gull
Small migratory gull with chocolate-brown hood and red bill.
The black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a compact gull species found across much of Europe and Asia, with smaller breeding populations in coastal eastern Canada. Most individuals migrate south for winter, though many stay in milder parts of northwestern Europe. It was once called the "common black-headed gull" to separate it from the "great black-headed gull," an older name for Pallas's gull.
The genus name *Chroicocephalus* comes from the Ancient Greek *khroizo* ("to colour") and *kephale* ("head"), while *ridibundus* is Latin for "laughing."
In 1766, Carl Linnaeus first formally described the species in the twelfth edition of *Systema Naturae*, placing it in the genus *Larus* under the binomial *Larus ridibundus*, with the type locality given as European seas. Early 21st-century genetic research revealed that *Larus* was paraphyletic, prompting a major taxonomic reshuffling. The black-headed gull now sits in the resurrected genus *Chroicocephalus*, introduced by Thomas Eyton in 1836, alongside nine other species.
Some authorities treat the black-headed gull as monotypic, while others recognize two subspecies: *C. r. ridibundus* in the western and central parts of the range, and *C. r. sibiricus* in the far east (eastern Siberia, wintering in Japan and eastern China). The eastern form is slightly larger and longer-winged, but the variation is likely clinal, with intergrades in central Siberia.
This gull measures 34–39 cm long, with a wingspan of 100–110 cm, and weighs between 166 and 400 g. Males (186–400 g) are on average heavier than females (166–350 g), though there is considerable overlap. In flight, a white leading edge on the outer wing, combined with dark undersides on the inner primaries, distinguishes it from the similar Bonaparte's gull, which has white undersides there. Summer adults sport a chocolate-brown head (appearing black from a distance), white neck, underparts, and tail, pale grey wings and back, black-tipped primary feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood disappears in winter, leaving two dark spots above and behind the eye. Summer plumage lasts from March to July (rarely from late January into August), while winter plumage appears from late July until March or April. It takes two years to reach full maturity. Juveniles, in their first month or two after fledging, show a mottled brown pattern over most of the body and a black tail band; by late summer, they moult into first-winter plumage with a grey back, a brown carpal bar on the inner wing, blackish secondary feathers, and the tail band still present. In their first summer, they develop a partial brown hood that varies widely between individuals—from almost no brown to a full adult-like hood. Second-winter plumage resembles adult plumage, except for occasional brown marks on the wings and tail tip. There is no plumage difference between sexes.
Breeding occurs in colonies in large reed beds, marshes, or on lake islands, with nests on the ground. Colony sizes range from a few pairs to several thousand, occasionally exceeding 10,000 pairs. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both while feeding and in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen far from coasts. Black-headed gulls are long-lived; the oldest recorded wild individual reached at least 32.9 years.
The breeding range spans the Palearctic from Iceland and Ireland east to Japan and eastern China. The global population is estimated at 2–3 million pairs, with Europe holding the largest numbers—up to 300,000 pairs in Great Britain and 250,000 in Poland. The range is slowly expanding westward: Iceland was first colonized in 1911, Greenland in 1969, and Newfoundland in 1977, with about 20 pairs breeding in northeastern Canada by the late 20th century. In winter, birds migrate south and west away from freezing regions, reaching northern Africa and southern Asia, with small numbers reaching the Equator. Milder areas within the breeding range, like Great Britain, receive large influxes from colder regions such as Scandinavia, Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia; the British winter population is around 3 million. Small numbers winter in northeastern North America as far south as Virginia, often mingling with flocks of Bonaparte's gulls.
South of its regular eastern North American range, it appears as a very rare transient down to the Carolina coast, and also in some Caribbean islands and Mexico. A few records exist from Australia: the first on 19 October 1991 at Broome, Western Australia, and others at Darwin, Northern Territory in 1998, 2005, and 2006. It is also a vagrant in Africa as far south as the Pretoria area in South Africa.
During the 2023 avian influenza outbreak, black-headed gulls were among the hardest-hit birds. Over 4,000 were killed in Great Britain by early May, with similarly high mortality rates reported in France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.
- Scientific name
- Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- Length
- 34–39 cm
- Maximum recorded age
- 32.9 years
- Global population
- 2–3 million pairs
- Breeding range
- Palearctic (Europe and Asia) and coastal eastern Canada
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Chroicocephalus
- Species
- ridibundus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
He placed it with the other gulls in the genus Larus and coined the binomial name Larus ridibundus. The genus name Chroicocephalus is from the Ancient Greek words khroizo, 'to colour', and kephale, 'head'; the specific name ridibundus is Latin for 'laughing'. Some authorities treat the black-headed gull as a monotypic species with no subspecies, while others treat it as having two subspecies: C. r. ridibundus in the west and centre of the range, and C. r. sibiricus in the far east. The latter is slightly larger and relatively longer-winged, with variation likely clinal. The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head, white neck, underparts and tail, pale grey wings and back, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just two dark spots above and behind the eye. Juveniles take two years to reach maturity. It breeds in colonies in large reed beds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding and in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts. Black-headed gulls are long-lived birds, with a maximum age of at least 32.9 years recorded in the wild.
Reader's Guide
The black-headed gull is a widespread and abundant species across the Palearctic, with a global population of 2–3 million pairs. It is a bold and opportunistic feeder, eating insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, and carrion. The species displays a variety of behaviours, including eggshell removal from the nest after hatching, begging coordination between siblings, and conspecific brood parasitism. Its significance lies in its abundance, adaptability, and role as a model species for studies of behaviour and disease ecology.
Did You Know?
- The black-headed gull's summer hood is chocolate-brown, not black, though it looks black from a distance.
- The specific name ridibundus is Latin for 'laughing'.
- Black-headed gulls have been recorded living up to 32.9 years in the wild.
Taxonomic Lineage & the Origins of the Name
Gulls occupy the subfamily Larinae within the family Laridae, a grouping that also encompasses their nearest relatives, the terns and skimmers. More distant kin include auks and skuas, while waders sit further still on the evolutionary tree. For much of modern ornithological history, the overwhelming majority of gull species were lumped into a single genus, Larus. By the twenty-first century, however, that arrangement was recognised as polyphyletic—meaning it grouped together lineages that did not share a single common ancestor to the exclusion of others. The result was a taxonomic reshuffling in which several previously abandoned genera were readopted and revised, giving each distinct lineage its proper place. The everyday names we use for these birds carry a surprisingly ancient and sensory origin. Both "gull" and the older English word "mew" are onomatopoeic, born directly from the harsh, wailing cries the birds produce. "Mew" survives in certain regional dialects and echoes across European languages: German Möwe, Danish måge, Swedish mås, Dutch meeuw, Norwegian måke or måse, and French mouette all trace back to the same vocal imitation. In this way, the very word for the bird is a fossil of its song.
Plumage, Build & the Seasonal Hood
The Black-headed gull is a small member of the gull family, and like its smaller relatives it typically needs about two years to reach full adult plumage. Its adult body presents the classic gull palette: a predominantly white underside set against a darker mantle, with the head and wingtips carrying the characteristic black markings. The wingtips are especially notable for their black colouration, which resists wear and tear, often accented by a diagnostic pattern of white markings near the primary feather tips. The most striking seasonal feature is the dark hood that covers the head during the breeding season. Outside that period the hood is shed, leaving behind only a diffuse dark smudge or mask running through or behind the eye—a subtle ghost of the full head-covering. The bill, strong and slightly hooked, tends toward red, dark red, or black in smaller gull species. The feet are fully webbed, and the legs are moderately long relative to similar terns. On the ground the bird's gait carries a gentle side-to-side sway that becomes more pronounced in breeding displays, while in flight it can hover and launch into the air with remarkably little runway.
Colony Life, Intelligence & Social Complexity
Gulls are far from mindless scavengers. They are clever, curious, and remarkably intelligent birds, and the larger species in particular display sophisticated communication systems and deeply layered social hierarchies. They nest in large, often densely packed colonies that are noisy and bustling, laying two or three speckled eggs in simple nests composed of gathered vegetation. The young hatch already covered in dark mottled down and capable of moving about almost immediately, a precocial strategy that reduces parental burden in the critical early hours. One of the most remarkable social behaviours is mobbing: entire colonies will rise together to drive away predators and other unwanted visitors, a coordinated defence that underscores the depth of their social bonds. Some gull species have even been observed using tools, deploying scraps of bread as bait to lure goldfish. Many gulls have learned to thrive alongside people in urban and coastal settings, adapting their foraging to human food waste. Others rely on kleptoparasitism, snatching food directly from other birds. Their lower jaws can dislocate to swallow prey far larger than their beak width, and their generalist nature—being the most adaptable of all seabird species—allows them to forage on crustaceans, shellfish, fish, and even small birds or mammals.
Distribution, Diet & the Human Interface
Gulls enjoy a range that spans the globe, nesting on every continent from the high Arctic to the edges of Antarctica, though they are rarer in tropical regions where only a handful of species persist on islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia. They are predominantly coastal or inshore birds, staying close to shorelines and rarely straying far offshore, and many favour islands for their breeding colonies. While some species undertake long migrations—Sabine's gull, for instance, travels from Arctic coasts to the west coasts of South America and southern Africa—others simply disperse along nearby coastlines. Diet is a major driver of where gulls choose to spend their non-breeding months. As generalist feeders, they take live fish and other prey while also scavenging wherever opportunity arises, consuming crustaceans, shellfish, and for larger species, small birds and mammals. Human activity has become a powerful shaper of gull distribution: fishing discards and port activity create reliable, plentiful food sources that pull species like Audouin's gull and lesser black-backed gull to specific coastal areas. Climate impacts, shifts in wetland salinity, water depth, and seasonal flooding patterns all further structure the habitats these adaptable birds call home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Black-headed gull?
The Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small, widespread gull that breeds across the Palearctic in Europe and Asia, with smaller colonies along coastal eastern Canada. It is one of the most familiar gull species in the northern hemisphere.
What does the Black-headed gull look like?
In breeding plumage it wears a striking chocolate-brown hood on its head combined with a vivid red bill, set against a pale grey-and-white body. The whole bird is compact, measuring roughly 34 to 39 centimetres from bill tip to tail.
Where does the Black-headed gull breed and where does it go in winter?
It breeds broadly across Europe and Asia in the Palearctic, plus in smaller numbers on the eastern Canadian coast. Most of the population migrates south for the winter, although many birds in the milder climates of northwestern Europe simply stay put year-round.
How long can a Black-headed gull live?
The oldest recorded individual reached 32.9 years, which is remarkably long for a gull of this size. This indicates that, under favourable conditions, a single bird can persist for several decades.
How many Black-headed gulls are there and why was it sometimes called the 'common' black-headed gull?
The global breeding population is estimated at two to three million pairs, making it a genuinely abundant species across its range. The 'common' qualifier was once tacked on to distinguish it from the great black-headed gull, an older name now applied to Pallas's gull.
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