Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus
First-years
Black-headed Gull - First-summer, Undisclosed Site, Essex 11th April 2009
The head and bill are like an adult, brown hood not encompassing the whole head, narrow white eye crescents not meeting in front of the eye and slender deep red bill.
The mantle and scapulars have been replaced by pale grey as well as most of the greater coverts and a few lesser coverts.
The tertials are plain brown though faded and worn through wear. The still juvenile wing coverts are now much faded and pale brown.
The primaries are brown and still juvenile; note the pointed tips.
The tail has a dark brown band and the legs are dark red.
Note the overall slight and small headed appearance.
Black-headed Gull - First-summer, Undisclosed Site, Essex 11th April 2009
As previous bird however the median and lesser coverts are still rather dark brown but with pale frayed tips with a similar pattern shown on the tertials,
Black-headed Gull - First-summer, Undisclosed Site, Essex 11th April 2009
As previous birds however the outer tertial is new grey, majority of the greater and median coverts are new grey with the medians showing a brownish tinge, and white feathering at the bill base.