Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns, Skimmers)

Authority: Payraudeau, 1826

Red List Category

Criteria: A4b

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Justification of Red List category
Audouin's Gull is undergoing a rapid population reduction following the collapse of the largest breeding colony after several years of very low reproductive output. A reduction in food from fisheries discards coupled with high colony predation is thought to have driven the declines. Despite some of these birds relocating and forming new colonies, overall a rapid decline is believed to have started around 2010. Prior to this populations were increasing, and current population size is estimated to be only around 15% lower than that three generations previously. It is unclear whether the present rate of reduction will persist over the next three generations. As such, the species is assessed as Vulnerable, under criterion A4b.

Population size: unknown

Population trend: decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 2,200,000 km²

Country endemic: no

Attributes
Land-mass type - continent
Land-mass type - shelf island
Realm - Afrotropical
Realm - Palearctic
IUCN System - Terrestrial
IUCN System - Marine