BLACK-HEADED GULL. 297 



Family LARID.^. Genus Larus. 



Sul)-fam,!y LARIN.E. 



BLACK -HEADED GULL. 



Larus ridibundus, Litmceus. 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, April, and prolonged into May. 



British breeding area : The Black-headed Gull 

 is one of the commonest and most widely distributed 

 species of the present sub-family in the British Islands. 

 From the nature of the country it is most abundant 

 during the nesting season in Scotland and Ireland, but 

 there are still several more or less important breeding- 

 places in England. In the latter portion of our islands 

 colonies of this bird are situated in Dorset, Kent, Essex, 

 Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire 

 (withWalney), Yorkshire, Cumberland, and Northumber- 

 land. In Scotland there are many colonies of varying 

 size (even as far north as the Shetlands) too numerous 

 for enumeration, but special mention might be made of 

 those near Glasgow and Loch Lomond. The same 

 remarks apply to Ireland, where it must be stated the 

 most westerly breeding range of the species obtains on 

 the Blaskets, a small colony tenanting the island of 

 Beginish. 



Breeding habits : The Black-headed Gull is a 

 resident in the British Islands, but subject to much local 

 and southern movement during the non-breeding season. 

 Unlike most other British species in the present group, 

 it frequents inland haunts, especially during the nesting 

 season. Its favourite breeding-grounds are marshes and 

 wet land, especially on islands, where greater immunity 

 from danger is obtained. The presence of trees and 

 bushes is by no means an obstacle, for many colonies 



