• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A3c

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2017	Vulnerable	A3c
2016	Vulnerable	D2
2012	Vulnerable	D2
2008	Vulnerable	D2
2007	Vulnerable
2006	Vulnerable
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	full migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	2,670,000 km2	medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding)	230,000 km2	medium
Number of locations	6-10	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	10000-19999 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2011
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2007-2025
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Generation length	6 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	4	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population was estimated at 12,000 individuals by Rose and Scott (1997); however, over 7,000 nests were recorded in 2010 and 2011 in the Ordos uplands of western Inner Mongolia and northern China (He Fenqi in litt. 2011), strongly suggesting that the total number of mature individuals exceeds the previous estimate. The population is thus placed in the band for 10,000-19,999 mature individuals, equating to 15,000-29,999 individuals in total, rounded here to 15,000-30,000 individuals.

Trend justification: Populations at some breeding sites, e.g. Honjian Lake, have increased, whilst others have declined dramatically, and population trends are difficult to interpret. However, the population is suspected to be decreasing at a moderate rate, as threats such as the reclamation of coastal wetlands for development, and human disturbance at breeding sites, and instability of breeding areas owing to weather fluctuations continue to influence most of the range. Loss of ephemeral wetland habitats in arid regions, associated with climate change, could greatly affect this species in the near future, and the rate of reclamation of coastal wetlands for development is also predicted to increase. It is therefore suspected that the population will undergo rapid declines of 30-49% over the next three generations.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
China (mainland)	extant	native		yes	yes
Hong Kong (China)	extant	vagrant			yes
Japan	extant	vagrant
Kazakhstan	extant	native		yes
Kyrgyzstan	extant	vagrant
Mongolia	extant	native		yes
Russia	extant	native		yes
Russia (Asian)	extant	native		yes
South Korea	extant	native			yes
Vietnam	extant	vagrant

Country/Territory	IBA Name
China (mainland)	Beidaihe
China (mainland)	Coastal mudflat of Tianjin
China (mainland)	Dunhuang Nature Reserve and Western Qilian Shan mountains
China (mainland)	Ejin Qidaoqiao Nature Reserve
China (mainland)	Hongjian Nur
China (mainland)	Jiuduansha Nature Reserve
China (mainland)	Ordos Taolimiao - Alashanwan Haizi
China (mainland)	Rong Jiang Estuary
China (mainland)	Ulansuhai Nur Nature Reserve
China (mainland)	Yancheng Nature Reserve
Kazakhstan	Karasuk
Mongolia	Airag Lake
Mongolia	Boon Tsagaan Lake
Mongolia	Buir Lake
Mongolia	Bulgan River
Mongolia	Khar Us Lake
Mongolia	Khomiin Tal
Mongolia	Khukh Lake
Mongolia	Mongol Daguur
Mongolia	Ogii Lake
Mongolia	Orog Lake
Mongolia	Taigam Lake
Mongolia	Tashgain Tavan Lakes
Mongolia	Uvs Lake
Russia (Asian)	Torey lakes
South Korea	Asan Bay (including Asan-ho lake and Sapgyo-ho lake)
South Korea	Nakdong-gang estuary
South Korea	Namyang Bay
South Korea	Suncheon Bay

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Marine Neritic	Estuaries	major	non-breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)	major	breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)	major	breeding
Altitude		Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Pollution	Domestic & urban waste water - Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Pollution	Industrial & military effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Residential & commercial development	Commercial & industrial areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Relict Gull Larus relictus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/relict-gull-larus-relictus 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.