Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Black-Headed Gull)

6/12/17 Leeds Castle, Kent, England:

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Black-Headed Gull

SPECIES: Chroicocephalus ridibundus

FAMILY: Laridae (Gulls, Terns & Skuas)

LIFE LIST DATE: 6/12/2017

LOCATION: Leeds Castle, Kent, England, UK

From Wikipedia:

The black-headed gull is a small gull that breed in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but some birds reside in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. Some black-headed bulls also spend the winter in northeastern North America. As is the case with many gulls, it was previously placed in the genus Larus. It breeds in colonies in large reed beds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts.

The black-headed gull is a bold and opportunistic feeder. It eats insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, and carrion in towns, or invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish. It is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call. Its scientific name means laughing gull.