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.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 75,300,000 km2 | |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 103,000,000 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2012 |
| Population trend | unknown | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 9.8 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.2,500,000-3,700,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 640,000-1,080,000 pairs, which equates to 1,280,000-2,160,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). National population sizes have been estimated at c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in China and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification: The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the extent of threats to the species across its wide range (del Hoyo et al. 1996). In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing by less than 25% in 29.4 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bahrain | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bhutan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Egypt | extant | native | yes | |||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| 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 | |||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | ||||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | |||
| Japan | extant | native | ||||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Libya | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malta | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mexico | extant | native | ||||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mongolia | extant | native | ||||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | |||
| Morocco | extant | native | yes | |||
| Myanmar | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Nepal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Korea | extant | native | ||||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Oman | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Palau | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | 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 | yes | ||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Korea | extant | native | ||||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Taiwan, China | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extinct | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| United Arab Emirates | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| USA | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Vietnam | extant | native |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | non-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 | marginal | resident |
| 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) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 1400 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mew Gull Larus canus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mew-gull-larus-canus 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.