Photo 7490: Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus 1cy, December 24 2002, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The partial autumn moult (post-juvenile moult into so-called "first winter") started right from the moment the nests was abandoned last summer and was completed by September. In this bird, the partial moult included the head and under-parts and some of the wing-coverts. The buff-brown coloration on the head and in the lower hind-neck has been replaced: the head is most white now with a typical black spot on the rear ear-coverts and a dark patch around the eye, in this bird not really extending over the crown. The mantle and scapulars have been replaced for second generation feathers which are all grey. In the lowest row of scapulars, some feathers are still missing. The lowest three tertials and the fourth and fifth greater coverts are plain grey, lacking a dark centre and strongly contrast with the adjacent feathers, which have  a bleached brown centre and strongly worn fringes. The juvenile median, lower lesser and lesser coverts have the brownish tips worn as well.