Justification This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Family/Sub-family Laridae

Species name author Temminck, 1820

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

360,000 - 960,000

unset

182,000 km²

No

Range & population The Meditteranean Gull breeds almost entirely in Europe, mainly on the Black Sea coast of Ukraine, with a recent spread to the northern Caucasian Plains and Azerbaijan. It also breeds at scattered localities throughout Europe, including the Netherlands, southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, southern England, Belgium, Germany and Spain. It winters in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, north-west Europe and north-west Africa¹.

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

Ecology: Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory and travel along coastlines between their breeding and wintering areas^{1, 2} (although a minority travel inland across Asian Turkey or follow major river valleys through Eastern and central Europe)³. The species returns to its breeding colonies from late-February² to early-April, with most beginning to breed from early-May¹. The Autumn migration to the wintering grounds occurs from late-June onwards². The species breeds in colonies, usually of less than 1,000 pairs and occasionally in single pairs amidst colonies of other species¹. It often breeds near but not among Sandwich Terns Thalasseus sandvicensis, or intermingling with Larus ridibundus¹. When breeding in coastal areas the species may fly up to 80 km away from the colony to feed on inland grassland¹. Habitat Breeding The species breeds on the Mediterranean coast at lagoons¹, estuaries^{1, 3} and sometimes coastal saltmarsh¹, often also breeding inland on large steppe lakes and marshes in open lowland areas^{1, 3}. It nests near water on flood-lands, fields and grasslands^{1, 3} and on wet or dry areas of islands³, favouring sparse vegetation but generally avoiding barren sand¹. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species becomes entirely coastal¹, favouring estuaries^{1, 4}, harbours¹, saline lagoons and other sheltered waters⁴. Diet Breeding During the breeding season its diet consists of terrestrial and aquatic insects, gastropods, small numbers of fish and rodents¹. Non-breeding When not breeding the species takes marine fish, molluscs^{1, 4}, insects⁴ (e.g. beetles and grasshoppers)⁷, earthworms, berries⁴, seeds (e.g. of barley, wheat, sunflowers and ragwort)⁷, offal¹ and occasionally sewage and refuse¹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression, situated on the ground in sparsely vegetated sites, thickets or reedbeds¹ near water³. The species breeds in dense colonies, with neighbouring pairs c.60 cm apart¹. Management information Artificially constructed nesting sites in coastal locations such as beaches of bare shingle and islands or rafts covered with sparse vegetation are successful in attracting breeding pairs of this species⁶. A conservation scheme for the protection of gull and tern breeding colonies in coastal lagoons and deltas (e.g. Po Delta, Italy) involves protection from human disturbance, prevention of erosion of islet complexes, habitat maintenance and the creation of new islets for nest sites⁸. The scheme particularly specifies that bare islets with 30-100 % cover of low vegetation (sward heights less than 20 cm) should be maintained or created as nesting sites⁸.

Threats This species sustains heavy losses as a result of tourist disturbance at breeding colonies^{1, 5}. The species may also be threatened by habitat loss resulting from tourism development, and by marine pollution (e.g. oil spills and chemical discharges)⁵. Utilisation Eggs and adults are collected from breeding colonies by fishermen in the Mediterranean Sea⁵.

References 1. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 2. Olsen and Larsson (2003). 3. Snow and Perrins (1998). 4. Urban et al. (1986). 5. James (1984). 6. Burgess and Hirons (1992). 7. Milchev et al. (2004). 8. Fasola and Canova (1996).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Rob Calvert (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Larus melanocephalus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 6/9/2010

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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