From Opus

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

Photo by rimmer
Adult, Scarborough, Yorkshire

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Larus melanocephalus

[edit] Identification

38cm
Breeding Adult

• Red bill with yellow and black tip
• Full black head
• Broken white eye-ring
• Pale grey mantle
• Pure white primaries

[edit] Similar Species

Black-headed Gull but the head is dark chocolate-brown rather than black

[edit] Distribution

Photo by mugilStrunjan July 2003

Europe, especially south and central Europe, wintering to north Africa. As a breeding bird almost confined to Europe where breeds in very scattered localities mainly in the south-east, and in central Turkey. Regular colonies on the Black Sea, chiefly in the Dobruja area of Romania and around the Crimea, at freshwater lakes in southern Russia and also in northern Greece and Central Anatolia. However, this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in recent decades.

Elsewhere breeds in the Camargue, north-east Italy and south-east Hungary and has bred sporadically in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and elsewhere, recently bred Ireland, Denmark and Poland. Now breeds annually in Britain, mainly in southern and eastern England with more than 90 pairs in 2000. The first breeding attempts for Northern Ireland took place in 2001.

With the population increasing and range expanding, breeding is likely to become regular in more areas. Most birds winter in the Mediterranean, where found virtually throughout, largest numbers on coasts of southern France and Spain, Italy, Tunisia and the Nile Delta. Also passes through Straits of Gibraltar to winter off Portugal and north to Britain and also south to Mauritania. Increasingly birds are remaining near to summering areas, especially in North-West Europe.

Vagrant to Ireland and Norway, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Photo by Ornitho26 1st year in flight Port la Nouvelle, France

Photo by Tav94 Firestone Bay Plymouth Devon 19 11 06

Photo by Gavin Haig River Axe, Axmouth, Devon, UK 22/12/07

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species which is sometimes places in genus Larus. In the past, Relict Gull was included in Mediterranean Gull.

[edit] Habitat

Breeds on estuarine saltmarshes, flooded fields and sparsely vegetated islands often in association with Black-headed Gulls or terns.

After breeding most are coastal, although some feed on grasslands some distance inland

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

[edit] External Links

• Thread discussing the identification of Mediterranean Gull.[1]