Birds › Mountain lake › Brown-headed Gull

Brown-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

A gull that nests by lakes high on the Tibetan Plateau, then spends the winter by the sea in South Asia.

Where to see it for real: Look for it on high lakes in summer and on coasts and harbors in winter.

Lives in the Mountain lake habitat (Eastern Himalayas, Yunnan, China, at about 3,700 m).

Brown-headed Gull facts

Family: Gulls and terns
Length: 17 in (43 cm)
Weight: 18 oz (500 g)
Diet: Fish, insects and scraps.
Range: Breeds on high lakes of Central Asia and Tibet; winters on coasts of South and Southeast Asia.
Nest: A grass-lined scrape on a lake island, in a colony.
Song: Harsh, raucous "gek" and "ko-yek" calls.
Active: by day
Status: Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.