Black-headed Gull

The Black-headed Gull is a medium-sized, slim and elegant gull. The adult bird in breeding plumage can be identified by its dark brown cap, appearing black from a distance. It covers very little of the neck. The upperparts are fairly light grey. All the underparts are white. The black tips of the primary feathers point backwards. The tail is white. The beak and legs are dark red. Two white crescents encircle the dark eye. In flight the black and white pattern of the hand is typical. The adult bird in winter plumage has lost its cap, leaving only traces, two dark spots in front of the eye, two others behind the eyes, a faint dark band materializing the back of the cap and often another band between the eyes. From a distance, however, the head appears white. The beak and legs are a brighter red. With its dark spots on the head, the juvenile resembles the adult, but the entire upperparts have very marked brown coloration, which extends from the mantle onto the bottom of the neck, forming a hint of a collar. The tail is white and tipped black. The beak and legs are yellowish, the former with a dark tip. From the first winter, the plumage will lighten. Grey appears on the back. The brown will persist mostly on the coverts, small and medium, and on the tertiaries. The beak and legs become a bit orange. The adult plumage will not be fully developed until the bird reaches its third Civilian Year. Meanwhile, the plumage changes gradually from the original brown, an immature trait, to become increasingly grey and white. The dark brown cap is usually acquired by birds that are at least two years old. However some individuals may develop a more or less complete cap from the first summer. In such cases it is necessary to look closely at the overall plumage to detect any immature traits, such as a dark tip of the tail, before determining the age of the bird.