Species:

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)

Change species:
Main Images:
Prev species:
Length (cm):
34-37
41-46
Wingspan (cm):
86-99
110-125
Weight (gram):
200-400
330-570
Size group:
Crow-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Chocolate-brown hood in adult plumage (seemingly black at a distance), but head only with dark markings in winter and juvenile plumages. Underparts of inner primaries dark grey. First few primaries white with black tip, both on upper side of wing and under. Last character conspicuous in all plumages, but slightly less obvious in juveniles due to larger dark area of wing-tip. Slender-billed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull show similar white first primaries, but differs in long and slender head profile and white underparts of hand respectively.

Sound:

Quite vocal, especially at breeding ground. Distinct, harsh calls. A rasping "kreearr", and shorter, sharp warning calls; "kek".

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Dark, pale and intermediate morphs. Pale birds more common in northern parts of species range, darker morphs more common further south. Elongated middle tail feathers (projection comprising about half the total tail length), but not as long as in adult Long-tailed skua. White patches at base of primaries, both on upper and underside of wings. Dark morph chocolate brown with darker hood. Pale morph with white throat and belly and incomplete breast band. Relatively marked transition from pale belly to dark vent (as opposed to Long-tailed). Size close to Common Gull. Flight powerful, elegant and falcon-like. Juveniles with short but pointed middle tail-feathers. Confusion with other juvenile skuas very likely. Differs from Long-tailed in prominent white base of most primaries on upper side of wing (not just the first few feathers). Lacks the double white patch of Pomarine Skua's underwing, and shows less contrast between back and rump. Wings broader than Long-tailed but narrower than Pomarine. Approximately equal to distance from wing rear edge to tail-tip (projections excluded).

Sound:

Mostly heard at breeding ground. Most characteristic call is a mewing, kittiwake-like "aeeeee-ah". First syllable drawn-out and rising in pitch, and followed by a deeper conclusive second syllable "ah". Lacks the introductory double accent of Kittiwakes ("kitti-wake").

Alarm call/flight call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Fernand Deroussen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Gull-like
Silhouette
Gull-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file