- Larus armenicus
Identification
A large gull with coloration typical of the genus. The bill is short with a notable black band just before the tip.
First-winter birds are mainly brown. They have a whitish rump, pale inner primary feathers and a narrow, sharply-defined black band on the tail.
Similar Species
Slightly smaller than Yellow-legged Gulls and have a slightly darker grey back and dark eyes. The area of black on the wingtips is more extensive with smaller white spots.
Distribution
Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and western Iran.
The largest known breeding site, containing thousands of Armenian Gulls, is on an island at Lake Sevan, Armenia.
A partial migrant with many birds wintering to the Red Sea and on the coasts of Turkey, Lebanon and Israel. Some go to Cyprus, Egypt and the Persian Gulf.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly classified as a subspecies of the Herring Gull complex, it is now generally considered to be a separate species.
This taxon was considered a subspecies of Yellow-legged Gull by some authors[2]
Habitat
Mountain lakes.
Behaviour
Breeding
Colonial nesters. Three eggs are laid on a mound of vegetation beside water or on an island, usually in late April. Territorial conflicts are common, due to the closeness of the nests.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Armenian Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Armenian_Gull
Further Reading
- A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia
M. S. Adamian and D. Klem, Jr. 1997. 223 pages, 61 color plates. ISBN 0-9657429-2-1 Hard Cover or ISBN 0-9657429-1-1 Flexible Lexatone Field Cover
- Handbook of the Birds of Armenia
M. S. Adamian and D. Klem, Jr. 1999. 656 pages. ISBN 0-9657429 Hard Cover
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
