OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus ridibundus). 



Or, more properly, Brown-headed Gull. Resident : 

 but largely intermigratory. Of late years, increasingly 

 vast hosts of these birds come up the Thames to London 

 and visit the lake in St. James's Park from autumn until 

 early spring. Well distributed and common throughout 

 our coast -lines where it is fairly flat. It breeds in marshy 

 places near the sea, and often on inland waters. The 

 chief Gulleries are at Scoulton Mere, Norfolk, and on 

 Walney Island ; while it also breeds commonly at vari- 

 ous other stations north of Yorkshire, but sparingly 

 southwards. 



Plumage. Head, nape, and throat chocolate -brown ; 

 upper parts lavender-grey ; outer primaries have white 

 centres, and dark margins to inner webs ; other parts 

 white, flushed with pink on under parts. Bill, legs, and 

 feet carmine. Length 16 in. Female similar, but rather 

 smaller. In winter the brown head is almost entirely 

 lost. Young : forehead white ; head and nape greyish 

 brown ; mantle, shoulders, and primaries brownish. 

 It may be four or five years before the bird attains the 

 pure plumage of the adult. Nestling, covered with buffish 

 brown down on upper parts, and yellowish brown on 

 under surface. Head, throat, and back marked with 

 black. 



Language. Always vociferous, and makes a variety 

 of harsh guttural cries, some sounding more or less like 

 a laugh, others somewhat reminding one of the Peewit's 

 call. 



Habits. Sociable ; nesting in immense numbers close 

 to one another at some Gullery, often inland, and in a 

 boggy situation. In flight it rather reminds one of the 

 Lapwing in the way it dashes about when agitated. 

 It runs very well on the ground, although the water is 

 its element, where it floats or paddles along as buoyantly 

 as a cork. It has no diving powers beyond plunging 



