Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChroicocephalus (Masked Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesChroicocephalus ridibundus (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". Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Gull sighting in Białowieża National Park, based on 211 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Białowieża National Park
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Caspian Gull
Larus cachinnans
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Common Gull
Larus canus
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-headed Gull in Białowieża National Park?
About 26% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Gull sighting in Białowieża National Park, based on 211 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-headed Gull in Białowieża National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Black-headed Gull in Białowieża National Park in our monthly data.