Black-headed Gull

Unnoticed biodiversity

Identification

Common name: Black-headed Gull
Latin name: Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Length: 35 cm
Distinguishing features: light grey upper parts, white underparts, dark red bill and legs
Habitat: aquatic
Diet: omnivorous
Status: Least Concern in the Ile-de-France region
Nesting period: April/May to July

Seen in the garden

The species is present nearly year-round in the Tuileries Garden, except for May, June and July, when it moves to its breeding grounds.

Exclusionary behaviour and conflicts between Black-headed Gulls and Carrion Crows are frequently observed.

These quarrels could be due to competition for food resources.

Black-headed Gull - short calls then long calls

Audio

1 min.

Did you know?

In 2023, a Black-headed Gull with a white leg ring bearing a black code was photographed: it had come from Denmark. Another individual which came several years in a row in the 2010s was from Lithuania.
The intermingling of Northern and Eastern European populations with those of the Paris area is common, as the former individuals winter in the Ile-de-France region. Black-headed Gulls nest on flat structures close to the ground. In the Ile-de-France region, they can be seen nesting in large suburban parks and outdoor activities centres.

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