Black-headed gull

Black-headed gull

It is a bird belonging to seabirds family and nesting in colonies. Over the last few decades, the number of pairs of black-headed gulls nesting in Latvia has decreased rapidly. Up to 2000 pairs of black-headed gull nest in the colony in the Esplanade wetland, which is one of the largest nesting sites of this species in Latvia. Other species of waterfowl nest in the vicinity of black-headed gull colonies, as gulls provide protection against predatory birds. The mass return to the colony in the Esplanade wetland is from the beginning of March till the end of April, depending on the onset of spring. The hibernation area of Latvia’s black-headed gulls includes the North Sea coast, Central Europe and the Mediterranean region. The black-headed gull is a long-lived bird species and can live even for up to 30 years.