Grey-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus (Vieillot, 1818)

42 cmLength375 gWeight

The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: Peru, South Africa, Argentina

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: Peru, South Africa, Argentina

Grey-headed Gull has been recorded at 404 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 40 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa – Laguna Costera y Playa MarvillaPeru2,483 records
Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa1,715 records
Lake Nakuru NPKenya1,335 records

More places

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de VillaPeru1,235 records
Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa773 records
Humedal de ChilcaPeru728 records
Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina679 records
St Lucia – iMfolozi River mouthSouth Africa631 records
Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania554 records
Lake NaivashaKenya554 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Peru South Africa Argentina Kenya Uganda Gambia Tanzania Senegal

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is dispersive, becoming more widespread in winter. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to the United States, Italy, and Spain.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Grey-headed Gull?

The Grey-headed Gull is about 42 cm long and weighs around 375 g.

Where does the Grey-headed Gull live?

Its breeding range: South America, Africa: coastal and inland Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar; coastal Ecuador and Peru; southern Uruguay and northeastern Argentina to Santa Fe (north-central Argentina). It is most often recorded in Peru, South Africa and Argentina.

When is the best time to see the Grey-headed Gull?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

What does the Grey-headed Gull eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Grey-headed Gull in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 42 cm
Weight: 375 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)

More measurements

Wing: 319 mm
Tail: 125 mm
Bill: 48 mm
Tarsus: 50 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America, Africa: coastal and inland Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar; coastal Ecuador and Peru; southern Uruguay and northeastern Argentina to Santa Fe (north-central Argentina)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2