Mediterranean Gull | ||||||||||||||
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Scientific Classification | ||||||||||||||
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Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Larus melanocephalus |
In winter, this bird migrates to Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
This gull breeds in colonies in large reedbeds or marshes, or on islands in lakes; where its population is small, it nests in Black-headed Gull colonies. 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.
This species can be distinguishe from the Black-headed Gulls with which it often associates by its slightly larger size, very pale grey plumage and thicker red bill. The summer adult has a black head (The hood of Black-headed is chocolate-brown, despite the name), and adults have no black in their wings. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just a streaked grey mask. Legs are red.
Feeding habits are much as Black-headed, this species being another opportunistic omnivore, and Mediterranean Gulls are frequently aggressive to their smaller relative,
This bird takes two years to reach maturity. First year birds have a black terminal tail band and more black areas in the upperwings, but have pale underwings.
This is a noisy species, especially at colonies, with a nasal "yeah" call.