Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Chroicocephalus ridibundus , Photo: Michael Lahanas

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Lari

Familia: Laridae
Subfamilia: Larinae
Genus: Chroicocephalus
Species: Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Name

Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Larus ridibundus (protonym)

References

Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (Regnum Animale). Editio duodecima (12th Ed.), reformata. Tomus 1 (Volume 1), Pars 1 (Part 1): 1–532. Holmiæ [Stockholm]. Impensis Direct Laurentii Salvii. BHL Reference page. : 225.

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: Swartkopmeeu
aragonés: Gaviota redidera
العربية: النورس أسود الرأس
asturianu: Gavilueta Glayadora
azərbaycanca: Adi qağayı
Boarisch: Lochméwen
беларуская: Чайка-рыбачка
български: Речна чайка
বাংলা: কালামাথা গাঙচিল
brezhoneg: Ar gouelan penn du
català: Gavina riallera
čeština: Racek chechtavý
Cymraeg: Gwylan Benddu
dansk: Hættemåge
Deutsch: Lachmöwe
ދިވެހިބަސް: Boakalhu Gohorukey
Ελληνικά: Χωραφόγλαρος
English: Black-headed Gull
Esperanto: Ridmevo
español: Gaviota Reidora
eesti: Naerukajakas
euskara: Antxeta mokogorri
suomi: Naurulokki
føroyskt: Fransaterna
Nordfriisk: Suarthoodet kub
français: Mouette rieuse
Frysk: Kob
Gaeilge: Faoileán an chaipín
Gàidhlig: Fhaoileag a'chinn duibh
galego: Gaivota chorona
Gaelg: Foillan kione doo
עברית: שחף אגמים
hrvatski: Obični galeb
magyar: Dankasirály
հայերեն: Որոր սովորական
Bahasa Indonesia: Camar kepala hitam
íslenska: Hettumáfur
italiano: Gabbiano comune
日本語: ユリカモメ
ქართული: ტბის თოლია
қазақша: Кєл шағаласы
kalaallisut: Nasalik
한국어: 붉은부리갈매기
Lëtzebuergesch: Laachméiw
lietuvių: Rudagalvis kiras
latviešu: Lielais ķīris
македонски: Обичен галеб
മലയാളം: ചെറിയ കടല്‍ കാക്ക
монгол: Хүрэн толгойт цахлай - ᠬᠦᠷᠡᠩ ᠲᠣᠯᠣᠭᠠᠢᠢᠲᠣ ᠴᠠᠬᠣᠯᠠᠢ
Bahasa Melayu: Camar kepala hitam
Malti: Gawwija Rasha Kannella
Nederlands: Kokmeeuw
norsk nynorsk: Hettemåse
norsk: Hettemåke
polski: Mewa śmieszka
português: Guincho-comum
rumantsch: Muetta rienta
română: Pescăruş râzător
русский: Озёрная чайка
davvisámegiella: Gahperbáiski
slovenčina: Čajka smejivá
slovenščina: Rečni galeb
shqip: Pulebardha e zakonshme
српски / srpski: Obicni galeb - Обични галеб
svenska: Skrattmås
Kiswahili: Shakwe Kichwa-kahawia
தமிழ்: கருந்தலை கடல் காக்கை
తెలుగు: క్రోయికోసెఫాలస్ రిడిబండస్
ไทย: นกนางนวลขอบปีกขาว
Türkçe: Karabaş martı
українська: Звичайний мартин
Tiếng Việt: Mòng biển đầu đen
中文: 红嘴鸥

The Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident. Some birds will also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the Common Black-headed Gull. As is the case with many gulls, it had previously been placed in the genus Larus.

This gull is 38–44 cm (15-17½ in) long with a 94–105 cm (37–41 in) wingspan. In flight, the white leading edge to the wing is a good field mark. The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, despite the name), pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just dark vertical streaks. This is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call. Its scientific name means "laughing gull".

It breeds in colonies in large reedbeds 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 opportunist feeder and will eat insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps and carrion in towns, or take invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish.

This species takes two years to reach maturity. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark areas in the wings, and, in summer, a less fully developed dark hood. Like most gulls, Black-headed Gulls are long-lived birds, with a maximum age of 63 years recorded in the wild.[2]

The Black-headed Gull is the prefectural bird of Tokyo and the Yurikamome mass transit system is named after it.

In popular culture

* Kehaar from Watership Down

Uses

The eggs of the black headed gull are considered a delicacy by some in the UK and are eaten hard boiled.[3][4]
Australian discovery

In the 1990s, local Broome birder Brian Kane saw a strange species of bird while trawling the local sewer ponds. Upon seeing this bird, he called one of his many bird-watcher friends to verify the species, who confirmed that it was indeed a Black-headed Gull that Brian had stumbled across. This was the first recorded sighting of the species in Australia.[5][6]
References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Larus ridibundus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
2. ^ "Longevity, ageing, and life history of Larus ridibundus". The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Larus_ridibundus. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
3. ^ Copping, Jasper (28 March 2009). "Top restaurants face shortage of seagull eggs". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/5065716/Top-restaurants-face-shortage-of-seagull-eggs.html.
4. ^ Conservation (Natural Habitats&c
5. ^ Kane, Brian (31 January 2002). "Notes on the Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus at the Broome Sewage Ponds". Notes on the Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus at the Broome Sewage Ponds (Broome). http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au/articles/ar199101.htm.
6. ^ [1]

* Harrison P. Seabirds of the World. Princeton University Press, Princeton (NJ), 1987 ISBN 0-691-01551-1
* Dunn JL, Alderfer J. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America National Geographic Society 2006 ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
* Pons J.M., Hassanin, A., and Crochet P.A.(2005). Phylogenetic relationships within the Laridae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred from mitochondrial markers. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 37(3):686-699

List of Cyprus birds