Black-headed Gull

About the Black-headed Gull

The black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small gull that breeds in much of the Palearctic in Europe and Asia, and also locally in smaller numbers in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but many also remain in the milder areas of northwestern Europe. It was formerly sometimes cited as "common black-headed gull" to distinguish it from "great black-headed gull" (an old name for Pallas's gull). The genus name Chroicocephalus is from the Ancient Greek words khroizo, "to colour", and kephale, "head". The specific name ridibundus is Latin for "laughing".

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Family

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order

Charadriiformes

Similar species

Other members of the gulls, terns, and skimmers family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

• Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus
• American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus
• Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
• Belcher's Gull Larus belcheri
• Black Noddy Anous minutus
• Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
• Black Tern Chlidonias niger
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
• Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris
• Blue-billed White-Tern Gygis candida
• Blue-gray Noddy Anous ceruleus
• Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia