Justification This species has a small, declining population. The rate of decline is likely to increase over the next three generations (18 years) as a result of land reclamation on tidal flats and disturbance at colonies. These factors qualify it as Vulnerable.

Family/Sub-family Laridae

Species name author (Swinhoe, 1871)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 33 cm. Diminutive gull with shortish, black bill. Breeding adults have black hood extending to nape and broad, broken white eye-ring. Non-breeders have white tips and small, black subterminal markings on outer primaries, small black tips to inner primaries, narrow, broken, dark secondary band and narrow black tail-band. Similar spp. Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus is larger, less compact with longer bill and white leading edge to wing.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

7,100 - 9,600

decreasing

357,000 km²

No

Range & population Larus saundersi breeds in eastern mainland China, and sporadically at sites on the western coast of South Korea. The most important breeding grounds are Yancheng and Shuantai Hekou in China. 1,317 Saunder's Gulls were recorded at Shuangtai Hekou National Nature Reserve, Liaoning in October 2001¹. Non-breeding birds occur in North Korea, where it may also breed. It winters in eastern and southern China, from Jiangsu southwards, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), Taiwan (China), along the western and southern coast of South Korea, in south-western Japan and Vietnam. The key wintering grounds are Bohai Bay (where 866 birds were counted in 2005/2006²) and Wenzhou-Yueqing bays, Guangdong and Guangxi in China and Suncheon-Kwangyang bays (with c.750 individuals recorded at Kum River estuary in Hanuary 2004³) in South Korea. The global population is estimated to be 7,100-9,600 birds and appears to be declining.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It nests on the ground in Suaeda-dominated saltmarsh. Wintering birds are found on estuarine tidal flats with regular movements between different sites dependent on weather and food supply.

Threats The key threat is reclamation of tidal flats and saltmarshes, particularly in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. From 1990-1995, many former breeding sites at Yancheng were lost through reclamation and construction. The other two breeding sites in China, Shuangtai Hekou and the Yellow river delta, are major oilfields and birds are under increasing threats from pollution and human activities. Reclamation developments associated with the Tianjin New Coastal District project (started in 2006) are likely to seriously affect an important wintering area⁴. Disturbance of nest-sites is a problem, particularly through the collection of lugworms on tidal flats in China, and by photographers in South Korea. Disturbance of adults results in increased predation of eggs and chicks. In China, eggs are sometimes collected by fishers. Unfavourable weather conditions threaten birds and nests at Yancheng.

Conservation measures underway CMS Appendix I. The key nesting sites in China are all nature reserves. Wintering sites at Manko (Japan), Mai Po (Hong Kong), and Xuan Thuy (Vietnam) are all protected areas. The species is classed as Vulnerable in China and therefore receives full legal protection.

Conservation measures proposed Conduct surveys in North Korea for potential breeding sites. Expand the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve (China), to include additional nest-sites. Establish protected areas at the wintering sites of Wenzhou-Yueqing bays (China), Tutu estuary, Hanpao and Aoku (Taiwan), Suncheon-Kwangyang bays (South Korea), Daijyu-garami, Hakata Bay and Sone (Japan). Provide management plans for coastal wetlands to promote their conservation. Ensure full legal protection for this species.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. Robson (2002). 2. Yang Liu et al. (2007). 3. Kim Hark-Jin in litt. (2004). 4. Yang Liu in litt. (2007).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), Nic Peet (BirdLife International), John Pilgrim (BirdLife International)

Contributors Kim Hark-Jin (Kyung Hee University), Liu Yang

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Larus saundersi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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