Not really a black-headed bird, more chocolate-brown - in fact, for much of the year, it has a white head with just a dark streak. It has red legs all year round. Juvenile gulls can be harder to identify and have brown lines on their wings and a speckled breast. The bill and legs are red or bright red in the adult but paler and orangey in the juvenile and sub-adult birds.

The commonest inland gull, particularly in northern England, Scotland and Wales. Large colonies along the south and east coasts of England.

All year round

It is most definitely not a 'seagull' and is found commonly almost anywhere inland. Black-headed Gulls are sociable, quarrelsome, noisy birds, usually seen in small groups or flocks, often gathering into larger parties where there is plenty of food, or when they are roosting.

Common and widespread in Britain

Abundant in Leicestershire and Rutland, but uncommon as a breeding bird here