Black-headed gull
The black-headed gull is the real landlubber of the group. They were first seen moving inland at the end of the 1800s, but have since found rich pickings and are often present around lakes in large urban parks as well as on many of our rivers.
Its smart chocolate-brown hood has been likened to a nun’s wimple, but this distinctive marking is not present in winter, and it is unlikely that any nun would don such flamboyant red leg wear!
Black-headed gulls’ eggs were previously highly sought and hundreds of thousands were taken and sold in markets around the country. Its numerous old names include heidi craa, rittick, black hatto and black-heided baakie.