Gulls (Laridae)

Brown-headed Gull (Larus brunnicephalus) - HBW 3, p. 613

French: Mouette du Tibet German: Braunkopfmöwe Spanish: Gaviota Centroasiática
Other common names: Indian Black-headed Gull

Taxonomy: Larus brunnicephalus Jerdon, 1840, west coast of Indian Peninsula.
Sometimes treated as race of L. ridibundus, the Pamir population showing intermediate characteristics. Monotypic.

Distribution: Mountains of SC Asia, between 3000 m and at least 4500 m: Turkestan and W Xinjiang E to SE Gansu, and S to Pamirs (L Kara-Kul), Ladakh and Tibet. Winters on coasts of India, N Sri Lanka and SE Asia, sparingly W to Arabian Peninsula.