Black-headed gull (15 x 7 cm)

Description

Because of a heavy decline in number the beautiful black-headed gull is still a quite common sight in Danish nature. It is easy to recognize in its summer plumage with the red beak and the characteristic black head, from which the gull has its name.
The black-headed gull is a small gull with a length of just 38 cm, and it is found from Western and Northern Europe through Asia and to the Coast of the Pacific Ocean.
In Denmark we find it in the main part of the country, but it is dependent on small islands in seas and by the coast, where it gathers in order to breed in established colonies.
The main part of the Danish black-headed gulls are migrants, traveling to Western Europe already in July to spend the winter. In return we do have visitors too, staying until October. It happens that some of the Danish black-headed gulls stay in the country all year, and therefore we can run into them in all seasons of the year.
The black-headed gull starts to build the nest at the end of April, and it is both the male and the female black-headed gull, who hatches out the eggs and feeds the young ones.
The black-headed gull is moreover known as a very noisy gull, always audible when being close to it.