Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns, Skimmers)

Authority: Strickland, 1852

Red List Category

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Justification of Red List category

This species has an extremely 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 size may be small, but it is not believed to 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). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population size: 2200-5700

Population trend: Decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 1,350,000 km²

Country endemic: No

Attributes
Land-mass type - continent
Realm - Afrotropical
IUCN Ecosystem -- Terrestrial biome
IUCN Ecosystem -- Marine biome