Head to head
Bonaparte's Gull vs Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's gull and the black-headed gull are similarly small and delicately built, closely related gulls, but they occupy different continents and very different nesting habits.
| Bonaparte's Gull | Black-headed Gull | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Native range | North America | Europe, Asia |
| Nesting site | Trees | Ground |
| Breeding hood colour | Black | Chocolate-brown |
| Typical breeding habitat | Boreal forest near water | Lakes, wetlands, farmland |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Habitat | Forest, coastal | Coastal, wetlands |
Bonaparte's Gull vs Black-headed Gull: common questions
What makes Bonaparte's gull unusual compared to the black-headed gull?
Bonaparte's gull is one of the only gulls that regularly nests in trees, a striking departure from the ground-nesting habit shared by the black-headed gull and the overwhelming majority of the rest of the gull family.
Is the black-headed gull's hood actually black, unlike Bonaparte's gull?
Correct, the black-headed gull's breeding hood is actually chocolate-brown despite its name, while Bonaparte's gull develops a genuinely black hood during the breeding season.
Do Bonaparte's gull and the black-headed gull share the same range?
No, Bonaparte's gull is native to North America, while the black-headed gull is native to a broad range spanning Europe and Asia, so the two closely related species do not naturally overlap.