# Black-headed Gull (*Chroicocephalus ridibundus*) The Black-headed Gull is a playful bird often seen near water. It has a striking black head in summer and a cheerful white body. These gulls love to dive for food and can be very curious! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 18 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Common Black-headed Gull ![Black-headed Gull](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426872/objects/34.jpg) ## Appearance The Black-headed Gull is a medium-sized gull with a distinctive chocolate-brown head in summer, which turns white with a dark spot behind the eye in winter. It has a white body, pale grey wings with black wingtips, and striking red legs and beak. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Chroicocephalus ## Interesting facts - A Black-headed Gull was once recorded living for over 32 years! - These gulls' 'black' heads are actually dark chocolate brown, not truly black! - They are known to follow farmers' ploughs to feast on freshly exposed grubs. - They often stamp their feet on the ground to make worms come to the surface! ## Special abilities - **Diet Dynamo:** Black-headed Gulls can eat almost anything because of their highly adaptable diet that helps them thrive in many environments. - **Flocking Forager:** Black-headed Gulls have excellent group foraging skills that help them find food efficiently in large colonies. - **Winged Wonder:** Black-headed Gulls can fly with impressive agility and speed because of their streamlined bodies and strong wings. - **Seasonal Style:** Black-headed Gulls have a unique head plumage change that helps them blend in differently during summer and winter. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 37-44 cm - **Wingspan:** 90-105 cm - **Weight:** 0.195-0.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-20 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-3 - **Incubation:** 22-26 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding This adaptable bird eats nearly everything, from tiny insects to human leftovers! - **Primary Foods:** Insects, Earthworms, Small fish, Carrion, Seeds, Food scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Searches for them in soft ground. - **Hunts:** [European Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-perch) (*Perca fluviatilis*) — Catches small fish near the water surface. - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Fast raptors can hunt adult gulls. - **Hunts:** [House Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-mouse) (*Mus musculus*) — Occasionally preys on small rodents. - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Often scavenges food waste from human activity. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Watch these birds from a distance and don't feed them, as they can get too close! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black-headed Gull? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Black-headed Gull? 37-44 cm ### What is Black-headed Gull's wingspan? 90-105 cm ### How much does Black-headed Gull weigh? 0.195-0.4 kg ### How long does Black-headed Gull live? 5-20 years ### How fast can Black-headed Gull move? 50 km/h ### What does Black-headed Gull eat? This adaptable bird eats nearly everything, from tiny insects to human leftovers! ### Where is Black-headed Gull usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Zoo Dortmund](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-dortmund) — North Rhine-Westphalia, DE · Zoo - [Diergaarde Blijdorp](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/diergaarde-blijdorp) — South Holland, NL · Zoo - [Pairi Daiza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pairi-daiza) — Hainaut, BE · Zoo - [Zoo Berlin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-berlin) — Berlin, DE · Zoo - [London Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/london-aquarium) — England, GB · Aquarium [View all places to see Black-headed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-headed-gull) ## Watch - [Play video: Black-headed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/videos/black-headed-gull) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=bFRxJdABvIs) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Black-headed Gull: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-headed-gull)