September 16 2012, Reykjavik, Iceland. I never imagined that I might one day see a Black-headed Gull as anything much more than just a seagull; something to throw dry sandwich crusts to. Where I grew up the Black-headed Gull was the default seagull. I really didn’t know much about other gulls except for an awareness of the existence of the Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull. Several years ago a friend asked me if I’d be interested in going to Niagara Falls to see a reported Black-headed Gull, Without really thinking I replied that I wouldn’t cross the street to see one. Rather glib I suppose, but not being one to chase species for the sake of a year-list, that’s how I felt about them.
But today I found a group of Black-headed Gulls loafing beside a duck pond. In Iceland this bird is pretty commonplace but I took a quick for-the record picture of one and was later struck by how stunningly elegant this little bird really is. While various field guides talk of reddish legs and bill, I think they fall short. This one has the most gorgeous full crimson-red legs and bill which perfectly compliment the pure white and pearl grey of it’s body and wings.
By the way, neither the Black-headed Gull nor its North American look-alike, the Bonaparte’s Gull, has a black head at this time of year, just two pretty little smudges of sootiness over and behind the eye, the black head is a breeding affectation.