Submission No 365: Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus at Darwin, NT: 21-22nd December 2002 (Unpublished). Submitted by: Niven McCrie, James Watson & Judith Evans.

Verdict: Accepted

A single Black-headed Gull was first sighted at 1840hrs on 21 December 2002 beside the Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin Harbour associating with Silver Gulls Larus novaehollandiae. At 0900hrs on 22 December 2002 two Black-headed Gulls were seen roosting on the container loading facility at Fort Hill Wharf, Darwin, which is adjacent to Stokes Hill Wharf. Both birds were viewed and photographed on multiple occasions following this date with one bird remaining until at least late May 2003. Some excellent photographs were included in the submission. Both birds were considered to be in first winter plumage.

The following plumage characteristics were noted in the submission to provide a comparative reference to Silver Gull.

· Wings pointed and more slender [than on Silver Gull]; broad white triangular area in leading edge; black carpal joint, dark carpal bar, dark trailing edge. No brown in wings (cf juv Silver Gull that was present)
· Back and wings darker than on Silver Gull
· Black tail band, very full and bold compared with the, narrower and rather discontinuous sub-terminal band of Silver Gull; tail contrasting strongly (ie, white against rather dark grey back)
· Bill longer, more slender [than on Silver Gull], yellow-orange, black tip
· Dark ear coverts, dusky crown
· Smaller bodied and shorter legged than Silver Gull, with wings extending noticeably further beyond tail than Silver Gull when at rest. Also appeared smaller headed and longer necked than Silver Gulls.
· Iris dark

All observers have had experience of Black-headed Gull in Europe and the UK, and there was no hesitation in concluding that both birds were Black-headed Gulls and careful consideration was made to rule out Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus.

Members had no difficulty accepting this record agreeing entirely with the observer's findings that both birds were in first-year plumage. This record is the 3rd confirmed for Australia

References and Bibliography:

· Cramp, S. 1983. The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. 3, Waders to Gulls, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
· Grant, P.J. 1982. Gulls, a guide to identification, Poyser, Calton, Staffordshire.
· Palliser, T. 1999. BARC Case No. 237


.

Tony Palliser
Chairman Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)