THE BLACK-HEADED GULL 



LARUS RIDIBUNDUS 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A common and widely 

 distributed resident, more local during the breeding 

 season, and given to much wandering at other times. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'S : The Black-headed Gull has become quite a 

 feature in the bird-life of London during winter in the 

 vicinity of the Thames from the Tower to Richmond, 

 and especially between London Bridge and Westminster. 

 Years ago the sight of a Gull in London was an event of 

 exceptional interest ; nowadays their visits to the Metro- 

 polis are so regular and in such abundance that they 

 create no surprise and have become quite an interesting 

 feature in the routine of the great city. The Thames, 

 of course, is the great centre of their Metropolitan dis- 

 tribution, but a great many individuals resort to other 

 localities, and the annual invasion of this species seems 

 to be spreading to various outlying districts. This 

 Gull frequents the ornamental waters in the urban parks, 

 especially St. James's Park, Battersea Park, and in the 

 grounds of Buckingham Palace. It may also be seen at 

 Paddington on and about the canal basin, and near the 

 open reach by the Harrow Road Bridge. I have also 

 records from many other sheets of water, from some of 

 the sewage-farms, and so forth. No indication of 

 breeding has yet been noticed, nor do I think ever will be. 



What I wrote about the Black-headed Gull in my 

 book Open-air Studies in Bird-life I may be pardoned 

 for quoting here : " They are voracious birds ; food is a 

 great inducement, and London crowds are very hospitable 

 in these matters. Even the London errand-boy will 

 share his humble dinner with the birds ; whilst the 



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