Brown-headed Gull look-alikes
Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
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Open the appSeveral birds can be mistaken for the Brown-headed Gull. Compare the key differences below to confirm your sighting.
Birds to compare
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Key differences
The Brown-headed Gull has a chocolate-brown head (not black), a more prominent white eye-crescent, and different primary wingtip patterns (more extensive black with two white mirrors, versus less black with a single mirror in Black-headed Gull). The Brown-headed Gull is also generally slightly larger and has a deeper reddish-orange bill and legs.
Slender-billed Gull
Chroicocephalus genei
Key differences
Slender-billed Gull lacks a dark head in breeding plumage, having a pure white head with a faint rosy flush. It has a distinctive long, slender, dark red bill and much paler legs, and the wingtip pattern is different, lacking the extensive black of the Brown-headed Gull.
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