IUCN Red List Criteria
| Near Threatened (criteria nearly met) |
A3de |
IUCN Red List history
| Year |
Category |
| 2012 |
Near Threatened |
| 2010 |
Near Threatened |
| 2008 |
Near Threatened |
| 2006 |
Near Threatened |
| 2004 |
Near Threatened |
| 2000 |
Lower Risk/Near Threatened |
| 1996 |
Vulnerable |
| 1994 |
Vulnerable |
| 1988 |
Threatened |
Species attributes
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type |
continent
|
Average mass |
- |
Distribution
| |
Estimate |
Data quality |
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) |
721,000 |
medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) |
721,000 |
medium |
| Area of Occupancy breeding/resident (km2) |
1,400 |
medium |
| Number of locations |
|
- |
| Fragmentation |
|
- |
Population & trend
| |
Estimate |
Data quality |
Derivation |
Year of estimate |
| No. of mature individuals |
|
medium |
Estimated |
2003 |
| Population trend |
Stable |
medium |
|
- |
| Number of subpopulations |
|
- |
- |
- |
| Largest subpopulation |
|
- |
- |
- |
| Generation length (yrs) |
11 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Population justification: PERSGA/GEF (2003) estimated 12,000-13,000 breeding pairs (36,000-39,000 individuals), excluding Eritrea, equating to 37,000-44,000 individuals overall. |
|
Trend justification: The population is believed to be stable (Rose and Scott 1997). |
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory |
Occurrence status |
Extinct |
Breeding |
Non-breeding |
Passage |
| Djibouti |
Native |
No |
|
|
|
| Egypt |
Native |
No |
|
|
|
| Eritrea |
Native |
No |
|
|
|
| Greece |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Iran, Islamic Republic of |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Israel |
Native |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Jordan |
Native |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Kenya |
Native |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
| Maldives |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Oman |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Native |
No |
|
|
|
| Somalia |
Native |
No |
|
|
|
| Sudan |
Native |
No |
Yes |
|
|
| Turkey |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| United Arab Emirates |
Vagrant |
No |
|
Yes |
|
| Yemen |
Native |
No |
|
|
Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory |
IBA Name |
IBA link |
| Egypt |
Ain Sukhna |
 |
| Egypt |
Gebel El Zeit |
|
| Egypt |
Hurghada archipelago |
|
| Egypt |
Qulân islands |
|
| Egypt |
Ras Mohammed National Park |
|
| Egypt |
Rawabel islands |
|
| Egypt |
Siyal islands |
|
| Egypt |
Suez |
|
| Egypt |
Tiran island |
|
| Egypt |
Wadi Gimal island |
|
| Egypt |
Zabargad island |
|
| Eritrea |
Dehalak Archipelago and offshore islands |
|
| Eritrea |
Massawa coast |
|
| Israel |
Southern Arava valley and Elat mountains |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Al-Wajh Bank |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Farasan Islands |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Jiddah south corniche and port |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Jizan Bay |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Madinat Yanbu al-Sinaiyah |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Shuqaiq mangrove |
|
| Somalia |
Jasiira Ceebaad and Jasiira Sacaada Diin |
|
| Sudan |
Mukawwar island and Dunganab bay |
|
| Yemen |
Al-Fazzah |
|
| Yemen |
Al-Mukha - Al-Khawkhah |
|
| Yemen |
Bab al-Mandab - Mawza |
|
| Yemen |
Bahr Ibn Abbas - Ra's Isa |
|
| Yemen |
Islands north of Al-Hudaydah |
|
| Yemen |
Jaza'ir al-Hanish |
|
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) |
Habitat (level 2) |
Importance |
Occurrence |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal |
Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands |
major |
breeding |
| Marine Intertidal |
Rocky Shoreline |
major |
breeding |
| Marine Intertidal |
Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc |
major |
breeding |
| Marine Intertidal |
Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches |
suitable |
resident |
| Marine Intertidal |
Tidepools |
major |
breeding |
| Marine Neritic |
Macroalgal/Kelp |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Pelagic |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Seagrass (Submerged) |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Subtidal Sandy |
major |
resident |
| Marine Neritic |
Subtidal Sandy-Mud |
major |
resident |
|
Altitude
|
0 - 0 m
|
Occasional altitudinal limits
|
|
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) |
Threat (level 2) |
Impact and Stresses |
| Residential & commercial development |
Tourism & recreation areas |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Minority (<50%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Low Impact: 5 |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion |
|
| Energy production & mining |
Mining & quarrying |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Minority (<50%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Low Impact: 5 |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion |
|
| Biological resource use |
Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals / Intentional use (species is the target) |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Minority (<50%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Low Impact: 5 |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality |
|
| Human intrusions & disturbance |
Recreational activities |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Majority (50-90%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Medium Impact: |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species disturbance |
|
| Human intrusions & disturbance |
Work & other activities |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Majority (50-90%) |
Negligible declines |
Low Impact: 5 |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species disturbance |
|
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases |
Problematic native species/diseases / Unspecified mammals |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Majority (50-90%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Medium Impact: |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Reduced reproductive success |
|
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases |
Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Unspecified rats (Rattus spp.) |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Majority (50-90%) |
Slow, Significant Decline |
Medium Impact: |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Reduced reproductive success |
|
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases |
Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / West Nile Virus (Flaviviridae) |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species mortality |
|
| Pollution |
Industrial & military effluents / Oil spills |
Timing |
Scope |
Severity |
Impact |
| Ongoing |
Majority (50-90%) |
Negligible declines |
Low Impact: 5 |
| Stresses |
|---|
| Species mortality |
|
Utilisation
| Purpose |
Primary form used |
Life stage used |
Source |
Scale |
Level |
Timing |
| Food (human) |
Whole |
Adults and juveniles |
Wild |
Subsistence, National |
Non-trivial |
Recent |
| Food (human) |
Whole |
Eggs |
Wild |
Subsistence, National |
Non-trivial |
Recent |
| Food (human) |
Whole |
Nestlings |
Wild |
Subsistence, National |
Non-trivial |
Recent |
| Pets |
Whole |
Adults and juveniles |
Wild |
International |
Non-trivial |
Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Larus leucophthalmus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013.
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.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
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