Black headed gull skull 3 (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

The black headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus is a small species that breeds throughout much of Europe and Asia. Most of the populations are migratory, moving South for the Winter. As with many gulls, these are a long lived species with individuals recorded at almost 33 years old in the wild.

This skull is from an animal found dead on a beach. This is a nice specimen with one quadrate bone still in place. The lower jaw is still separate from the skull.

The skull length 79mm.