Abstract:The home range and movements of Brown-headed Gulls (Larus brunnicephalus) were studied using radio telemetry from April to September 2006 at Qinghai Lake, China. Six Brown-headed Gulls were banded with radio transmitters. The results showed that the average Brown-headed Gull home range was larger in the early breeding period because of searching for food and mates. During this period, the gulls were often seen at Luci Island, Egg Island and Buhahekou, where food was abundant. The average home range size reduced dramatically in the mid breeding period due to egg laying and incubation. The birds frequently congregated at Buhahekou, where schools of fish gathered from the main lake and began to spawn in the spring. In the late breeding period, Brown-headed Gulls had to travel far from their nests, such as upstream of Buhahekou and Quanwan, to look for food to raise their fledglings. During this period, the home range sizes started to increase again. When the fledglings were able to fly in the early migration period, the home range size increased almost to the same size as the early breeding period. The home range size in the early breeding, mid breeding, late breeding, and early migration period were respectively (15.48 km2±4.54 km2), (1.61 km2±0.41 km2), (3.53 km2±2.63 km2), and (11.61 km2±9.36 km2).