- Ichthyaetus audouinii
Larus audouinii
Identification
44-52cm (17¼-20½ in)
- Mainly white head and body
- Pale grey wings
- Black tail
- Short stubby dark red bill with black and yellow tip
- Wings: Black wedge on outer primaries with white tip
- Grey-green legs
- Dark eye
Juveniles have a brown head that fades to white over four years
Similar Species
Considerably paler wing and mantle, and shorter bill than Yellow-legged Gull. Lacks (or at least reduced) white tertiary wedge on the folded wing when compared with this and other members of the Herring Gull complex.
Distribution
The Mediterranean area, wintering to Senegal.
Rare, but populations appear to be increasing.[6]
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species. which is sometimes placed in genus Larus.[1]
Habitat
Breeds in sandy areas with low brush. Rocky sea coasts, saline marshes and reedbeds, saltpans and lakes. Pelagic.
Behaviour
An elegant gull
Breeding
Two to three eggs are laid on a ground nest and are incubated for 21 days.
Diet
The diet consists mostly of fish snatched from the surface, or by diving; they rarely scavenge.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- ArKive
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
- BF Member observations
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
