Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Least Concern | |
| 2018 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 7,780,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 15,300,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 236000-656000 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2012 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 10.1 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The European population was recently estimated at 118,000-328,000 pairs, which equates to 236,000-656,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The population in Europe is suspected to be decreasing by less than 25% in 30.3 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gambia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | uncertain | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | ||||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kenya | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kuwait | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Libya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malta | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mauritania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Monaco | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | |||
| Morocco | extant | native | yes | |||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Senegal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Sudan | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | |||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tunisia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mediterranean-gull-larus-melanocephalus on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.