The Black-headed Gull is primarily a European and Asian species. It was first reported in North America in 1930 and now shows up fairly regularly, especially on the East Coast. A few have nested in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Black-headed was documented sporadically in Texas in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. However, until 2025 it had not been reported in Texas since 2007. I was fortunate to see this species and get a few flight shots near Amarillo, Texas on September 22 and 23, 2025.
Identification of the Black-headed should be made in comparison with the Bonaparte’s with which it frequently associates. The Black-headed is a small gull, slightly larger than Bonaparte’s. It has a dark brown hood (rather than black) in alternate plumage. The bill is slender and straight and slightly larger than the Bonaparte’s. In basic (non-breeding) plumage the head is white with a dark ear-spot and frequently includes dark remnants of the hood. The legs and bill are reddish with a black tip, while the Bonaparte’s has a black bill and pink legs. During the immature and sub-adult phases the Black-headed sports a diffuse “M” on the back and wings, making it one of what I call “the M-birds”. The adult in flight has a white wedge on the top surface of the outer primaries and black undersurface of the middle primaries.
Additional flight photos of the 2025 bird are shown below.
