Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks October to February · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Black-headed Gull has been recorded in 2,672 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (90%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in October to February.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 62% or more of visits
- High
- 39% to 62%
- Moderate
- 17% to 39%
- Low
- under 17%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 96% | 56% | Very high |
| February | 92% | 53% | Very high |
| March | 78% | 45% | Moderate |
| April | 57% | 33% | Low |
| May | 54% | 31% | Low |
| June | 58% | 34% | Low |
| July | 77% | 45% | Very high |
| August | 81% | 47% | Very high |
| September | 81% | 47% | Very high |
| October | 87% | 51% | Very high |
| November | 98% | 57% | Very high |
| December | 100% | 58% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C41 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C42 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C62 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D10 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D31 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H14 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H76 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HY40 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J05 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |