Scientific Name: Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Malay Name: Camar-Topeng Erasia
Chinese Name: 红嘴鸥
Range: Found from Europe to Asia and eastern Canada wintering to northern Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, southern China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and eastern North America
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 35-39 cm
Identification: Non-breeding adult has mostly white head with prominent dark ear spots, white nape and underparts, pale grey mantle, dark eyes, reddish bill with black tip and dark red legs/feet. Breeding adult has dark brown hood with broken white eyering and darker red bill. First winter bird resembles non-breeding adult but has duller bill and legs, buff-brown markings on upperwings and blackish subterminal tail-band.
Similar looking species: Brown-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull
Habitat: Mudflat and other coastal habitats.
Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on varied food items such as aquatic and terrestrial insects, earthworms, marine invertebrates, some fish, grains and berries.
Local Status: Rare migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)
Featured reports: Dec 2022
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Black-headed Gull)
References:
BirdLife International. (2018). Larus ridibundus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694420A132548687.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Black-headed Gull. Retrieved on June 2, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/black-headed-gull.