LC
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei



Taxonomy

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
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
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass 281 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 22,600,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 27,500,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 180000-230000 mature individuals poor estimated 2012
Population trend unknown - - -
Generation length 10.5 years - - -

Population justification: The global population has been estimated at 310,000-380,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 35,900-57,300 pairs, which equates to 71,700-115,000 mature individuals or 107,550-172,500 individuals (BirdLife International 2015). An updated global population estimate using this new information from Europe provides an estimate of 280,000-345,000 individuals. This roughly equates to 180,000-230,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The overall population trend is not known. Some populations may be stable or increasing (Wetlands International 2015), whilst the European population is estimated to be decreasing by less than 25% in three generations (BirdLife International 2015).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant native yes
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant native
Antigua and Barbuda extant vagrant
Austria extant native yes
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Bahrain extant native yes yes
Belarus extant vagrant
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Bulgaria extant native yes yes
China (mainland) extant uncertain yes
Côte d'Ivoire extant vagrant
Croatia extant uncertain
Cyprus extant native yes yes
Djibouti extant vagrant
Egypt extant native yes
Eritrea extant native
Ethiopia extant native
France extant native yes yes
Gambia extant native
Georgia extant native yes
Germany extant vagrant
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes yes
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native yes
Hong Kong (China) extant vagrant
India extant native
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes
Israel extant native
Italy extant native yes yes
Japan extant vagrant
Jordan extant native yes yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kenya extant vagrant
Kuwait extant native yes yes
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Libya extant native
Malta extant native
Mauritania extant native yes
Montenegro extant vagrant yes
Morocco extant native
Nepal extant vagrant
Nigeria extant vagrant
North Macedonia extant native yes
Oman extant native yes yes
Pakistan extant native
Palestine extant native yes yes
Poland extant vagrant
Portugal extant vagrant
Qatar extant native yes
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes yes yes
Russia (Central Asian) extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes yes
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native yes
Serbia extant vagrant yes
Slovenia extant vagrant
Somalia extant uncertain
South Africa extant vagrant
Spain extant native yes
Sri Lanka extant vagrant
Sudan extant native yes
Switzerland extant vagrant
Syria extant native yes yes
Thailand extant vagrant
Tunisia extant native yes
Türkiye extant native yes
Turkmenistan extant native yes
Ukraine extant native yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes yes
United Kingdom extant vagrant
Uzbekistan extant native
Western Sahara extant native yes
Yemen extant native yes yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Afghanistan Ab-i-Istada
Azerbaijan Pirsagat Islands and Los Island
Bahrain Tubli Bay
Egypt Bitter Lakes
Egypt El Malaha
Egypt Lake Manzala
Egypt Lake Qarun Protected Area
Egypt Zaranik Protected Area
France Camargue
France Etangs de Leucate et Lapalme
France Petite Camargue laguno-marine
Gambia Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve
Gambia Delta du Saloum – Niumi – Tanbi
Gambia Niumi National Park
Gambia Tanbi wetland complex
Greece Alyki Kitrous lagoon
Greece Spercheios valley and delta and Maliakos gulf
Guinea-Bissau Arquipélago dos Bijagós
Guinea-Bissau Cantanhez forests
Guinea-Bissau Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary
Iran, Islamic Republic of Bahu Kalat (Gandu) Protected Area
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Bakhtegan, Lake Tashk and Kamjan marshes
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Uromiyeh
Iran, Islamic Republic of Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay
Iran, Islamic Republic of Shadegan marshes and tidal mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa
Iraq Darbandikhan Lake
Iraq Dukan Lake
Iraq East Hammar
Iraq Razzaza Lake
Iraq Sinnaf Seasonal Wetlands
Iraq West Hammar
Italy Cagliari wetlands
Italy Gargano Promontory and Capitanata Wetlands
Italy Palmas Gulf wetlands
Italy Punte Alberete and Valle della Canna, Pineta San Vitale and Pialassa della Baiona
Italy Sinis and Oristano wetlands
Italy Valli di Comacchio and Bonifica del Mezzano
Kazakhstan Caspian Sea shore between Volga and Ural River Deltas
Kazakhstan Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve
Kazakhstan Lesser Aral Sea
Kenya Tana River Delta
Kuwait Sulaibikhat Bay
Mauritania Aftout Es Sâheli
Mauritania Banc d'Arguin National Park
Mauritania Cap Blanc
Mauritania Diawling National Park
Oman Al Batinah coast
Oman Barr al Hikman
Oman Duqm
Oman Khawr Ghawi
Oman Masirah island
Oman Ras al Hadd
Romania Black Sea
Romania Danube Delta
Romania Lake Siutghiol
Romania Limanu - Herghelia
Russia (European) Beglitskaya sand-spit
Russia (European) Delta of the River Don
Russia (European) Islands in the western part of Lake Manych-Gudilo
Russia (European) Khanskoye Lake
Russia (European) Kiziltash limans
Russia (European) Kozinka lake and Baranikovski segment of Manych
Russia (European) Mouth of Yeya river
Russia (European) Taman'
Russia (European) Utrish Reserve and adjacent coastal waters
Russia (European) Yeiski salt-lakes
Saudi Arabia Jiddah south corniche and port
Saudi Arabia Tarut Bay
Senegal Delta du Saloum
Senegal Delta du Saloum - marine
Senegal Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis lagoons
Senegal Joal-Fadiouth
Senegal Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve
Senegal La Petite Côte
Senegal Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie
Senegal Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie - marine
Spain Albufera de Valencia marshes
Spain Bahía de Almería
Spain Ebro delta
Spain Guadalquivir marshes
Spain Mata and Torrevieja lagoons
Spain Plataforma Marina del Delta del Ebro - Columbretes
Spain Santa Pola salt-pans
Spain Tabarca - Cabo de Palos
Spain Wetlands of western Almería
Tunisia Golfe de Boughrara
Tunisia Îles Kneiss
Tunisia Lagune de Soliman
Tunisia Salines de Thyna
Türkiye Bolluk Lake
Türkiye Tersakan Lake
Turkmenistan Garabogaz - Garshy
Ukraine Kazantip Cape, Aktash lake and Astanins'ka marsh
Ukraine Syvash Bay
Ukraine Yagorlyts'ka and Tendrivs'ka Bays
United Arab Emirates Khor Al Jazirah

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Salt Exploitation Sites suitable non-breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Rocky Shoreline suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Tidepools suitable breeding
Marine Neritic Estuaries suitable breeding
Marine Neritic Macroalgal/Kelp major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Seagrass (Submerged) major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Subtidal Sandy major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Subtidal Sandy-Mud major non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Pollution Industrial & military effluents - Oil spills Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Slender-billed Gull Larus genei. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/slender-billed-gull-larus-genei on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.