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Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Gaviota Cabecinegra
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Subadult - Photo:
B. Hallett
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Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Gaviota Cabecinegra
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Subadult - Photo:
B. Hallett
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This is a European species that also breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland. Adults have a red bill and legs, with a black head only in breeding plumage. In non-breeding plumage there is a black spot behind the eye. First winter birds have a dull yellow bill with a black tip. Both adults and immatures have a white wedge at the tip of the wing that is visible in flight. Length: 37-43 cm.; weight: 195-325 g. Audio (M. Oberle). Rare winter migrant in San Juan harbor and other locations such as the mouth of the Río Grande de Arecibo (24 December 1998) and Mayagⁿez Harbor (11 and 16 December 2001; and 2 birds on 2 January, 1 bird 19 January 2002). TAXONOMY: CHARADRIIFORMES; LARIDAE; Larinae. Formerly called Common Black-headed Gull. |
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Adult, non-breeding - Photo: D. Roberson
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Adult, non-breeding - Photo: G. Beaton
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Adult, breeding plumage - |
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Adult, winter plumage - Photo: M. Donahue
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Adult, winter plumage - Photo: M. Donahue
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Immature, first winter plumage, Mayagⁿez, December
2001 -
Photo: R. Rodríguez-Mojica |
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With Forster's Tern, Mayagⁿez,
19 January 2002 -
Photo: R. Rodríguez Mojica |
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Immature, first winter plumage - Photo: M. Donahue
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Immature, first winter plumage - Photo: M. Donahue
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Immature, first winter plumage -
Photo: M. Donahue |
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Immature, first winter plumage -
Photo: M. Donahue |
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References del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of Birds of the World, Vol. 3. Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Grant, P.J. 1997. Gulls: a guide to identification, 2nd Ed. Academic Press, NY. Harrison, P. 1983. Seabirds: an identification guide. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Harrison, P. 1987. A field guide to seabirds of the world. Stephen Greene Press, Lexington, MA. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Stienen, E. W. M. and A. Brenninkmeijer. 2002. Foraging decisions of Sandwich Terns and kleptoparasitising gulls. Auk 119(2):473-486. Black-headed Gull, Spanish text Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |