---
title: "Gray-hooded Gull"
description: "Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus — Birds. The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/gray-hooded-gull
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Gray-hooded Gull

> Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus — Birds. The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara.

- Scientific name: *Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 6845
- Wikidata: [Q652348](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q652348)
- iNaturalist taxon: [144508](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/144508)

## Names

- en: Gray-hooded Gull
- de: Graukopfmöwe
- es: Gaviota capucho gris
- fr: Mouette à tête grise
- nl: Grijskopmeeuw
- pt: Gaivota-de-cabeça-cinza
- pl: Mewa szarogłowa

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (1966), AR (1398), PE (761), BR (373), EC (358), KE (290), GM (284), SN (182), UG (123), TZ (117), NA (110), BW (71)

## Summary

The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is dispersive, becoming more widespread in winter. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to the United States, Italy, and Spain. As is the case with many gulls, it had traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. Recent evidence suggests the South American and African populations may represent two separate cryptic species.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey-headed_gull

## Photo

![Gray-hooded Gull](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/gray-hooded-gull/medium.jpg)

Photo: Dave Brown · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67313314

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/gray-hooded-gull?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).