Brown-headed Gull

Brown-headed Gull
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

Malay Name: Camar-Topeng Asia

Chinese Name: 棕头鸥

Range: Found from central Asia to northern China, wintering to Indian subcontinent, southern China and mainland Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 42-46 cm

Identification: Breeding/non-breeding adult and juvenile resembles Black-headed Gull but is larger, bulkier and thicker-billed with pale eyes. In flight, shows distinctive broadly black-tipped outer primaries.

Similar looking species: Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull

Habitat: Mudflat and other coastal habitats.

Behaviour/Ecology: Rests on mudflats with Black-headed Gull as well as terns and other shorebirds. Often rests buoyantly on the sea.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 11 Nov 1967
Late date 22 Mar 1986
Bar chart not displayed for this species; no records in the given time period.
Similar to the Black-headed Gull, but much rarer. Last recorded in Dec 1999.
Non-breeding Brown-headed Gull at Bang Poo, Thailand. Photo Credit: Eric Tan
Non-breeding Brown-headed Gull at Bang Poo, Thailand. Photo Credit: Eric Tan

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Brown-headed Gull)

References:

BirdLife International. (2018). Larus brunnicephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694384A132547071.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Brown-headed Gull. Retrieved on July 10, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/brown-headed-gull.

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