Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
The Brown-headed Gull (*Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus*) is a striking medium-sized gull, measuring 41-43 cm (16-17 in) in length with a wingspan of 100-105 cm (39-41 in) and weighing between 250-350 g. Its most distinctive feature in breeding plumage is its rich chocolate-brown head, contrasting sharply with its white body, pale grey mantle, and black wingtips adorned with prominent white 'mirrors'. It sports bright red legs and a similarly vibrant red bill, which fades to a duller orange-re...
Breeds on high-altitude freshwater lakes, rivers, and marshlands; winters in coastal and inland wetlands, estuaries, and agricultural fields from sea level to moderate elevations.
An opportunistic feeder, its diet primarily consists of insects, small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, carrion, offal, and human refuse, often foraging in agricultural fields or near human settlements.
Highly social, Brown-headed Gulls are colonial breeders, forming dense aggregations on islands or lake shores. They exhibit a diurnal activity pattern, often spending evenings in communal roosts. Foraging strategies are opportunistic and diverse, including aerial hawking for insects, surface-dipp...
The breeding range of the Brown-headed Gull is concentrated in the high-altitude regions of Central Asia, encompassing the Tibetan Plateau across China and Tibet, the Himalayas (including Nepal, India's Ladakh region, and Bhutan), and parts of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. After the br...
Least Concern
- The Brown-headed Gull breeds at staggering altitudes, often above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) and sometimes up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, making it one of the world's highest-breeding gulls. - Its common name directly reflects its most striking feature: a...