What to Know About the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda?

The Grey-Headed Gull in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during Uganda birding safaris.

Although not migratory, this slightly larger gull is widely spread across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of eastern South America.

It often gathers in large flocks, especially during the winter season, making it an impressive sight during African birding in Uganda.

This resident breeder is frequently encountered by nature lovers on Africa birdwatching tours and birding safaris in Uganda, particularly near lakes and wetlands.

How Does the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda Look Like?

The grey-headed gull is somewhat bigger than the black-headed gull with length between 38-45 cm and weight 255-360g, wingspan 100-105 cm.

The head of the adult is pale grey, a grey body, darker in tone than the black-headed, the long bill and legs are red.

The neck and lower body is white. The black tips to the primary wing feathers have conspicuous white “mirrors”. The wing is dusky grey with black wingtips. Both sexes resemble.

How Does the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

The Grey-headed gull is a noisy bird especially whenever they are at colonies a harsh loud call crow like caw, caw can be heard.

How Does the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda Feed?

The mainly feed on fish and invertebrates and sometimes on termites, in can scavenge broken flamingo eggs and dead fish.

How Does the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda Nest?

The nest of the grey headed gull is usually a nest of herbaceous matter with a central nest cup built on the ground, the pair constructs a nesting platform in the mashes to keep the nest dry building materials and the building process is done by both partners.[

How Does the Grey-headed Gull in Uganda Breed?

The grey-headed gulls are monogamous and colonial breeders. Their mating pairs lasts for life cases of divorce doesn’t occur. They are also royal to their breeding sites, they repeatedly breed from the same colony.

How Does the Grey-headed gull in Uganda Reproduce?

The female lays between 2 to 3 dark tan to brown well camouflaged eggs. Incubation is done in shifts of about 4 hours during the day and one parent at night.

The incubation period varies between 22 to 26 days beginning the day the first egg was laid. Brooding of chicks is also done by both parents for about 1-2weeks with maximum care of at least one parent every time up to the fledging time.

Feeding of chicks is done by both parents but in mostly male feeds the chicks as the female is guarding and brooding them.