Although it is not one of the large gulls, it is between the medium-sized and these. The bird is whitish in appearance, with a very faint light-grey back. Its legs are dark olive green or grey, its bill is red with a black band near the end and a yellow tip.
Species 1
Audouin´s Gull
Scientific name
Larus audouinii
Family 2
Laridae
Taxonomic Affinity Group 3
Gulls and Terns
Phenology 4
It is a bird which is endemic to the Mediterranean, with its nesting colonies on islets or small archipelagos, so the influence of movements between breeding and wintering sites (which it does in a very concentrated way) can be seen in places such as the rocky areas, where the postnuptial migratory passage makes up for almost half of the annual sighting probabilities. It can be seen throughout the year.
The graph represents the probability of seeing a species during the year, grouped into months. The vertical axis indicates the percentage value. Each of the bars expresses its value. The horizontal axis represents the months: I = January, II = February, III = March, IV = April, V = May, VI = June, VII = July, VIII = August, IX = September, X = October, XI = November and XII = December.
Observation recommendations
It is one of the so-called “pelagic” birds, feeding on fish at sea, returning to land to rest. It is easy to spot it resting mixed with other gulls in large flocks, and it can even in the old salt marshes be seen swimming in the old salt marshes. It should be noted that it is also classified as “vulnerable”, so its presence is yet another indication of the value of observation sites.
Observation areas where we can find it
Notes
[1] The names used are from the list of birds of Spain, drawn up by SEO/BirdLife and updated to 2019 (https://seo.org/listaavesdeespana/). The reference is: Rouco, M., Copete, J. L., De Juana, E., Gil-Velasco, M., Lorenzo, J. A., Martín, M., Milá, B., Molina, B. & Santos, D. M. 2019. Checklist of the birds of Spain. 2019 edition. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
[2] The taxonomic family to which it belongs is indicated.
[3] Traditionally, waterbirds have been grouped according to their taxonomy or “taxonomic affinity”, i.e., when some birds coincide in certain features that allow them to be classified scientifically, but without leaving the rigour of science, they are put together in these groups so that they can be easily recognised. These groups are the following: Greves (belonging to the Podicipedae family), Herons and Similar (includes the families: Ardeidae -Herons- Ciconiidae -Storks- and Threskiornithidae -Ibises and spoonbills-), Ducks (the whole Anatidae family), Coots and Similar (the family Rallidae corresponding to Rails, Gallinules and Coots), Cranes (also with only one family, the Gruidae), Waders , a heterogeneous group, the most diverse of this classification, includes the families Burhinidae (Stone-curlews), Haematopodidae (Oystercather), Recurvirostridade (Avocets and Stilts), Glareolidae (Pranticole), Charadriidadea (Plovers), Scolapacidae and finally Gulls and Similar (the recently unified family Laridae, i.e. Gulls and Terns).
[4] Phenology studies the relationship between the cycles of living beings and meteorological factors, and in our latitude these factors manifest themselves as variations throughout the year, thus relating the seasons to the birds’ cycles (breeding, migratory journeys, etc.) The graph shows the probability of seeing a bird depending on the month. It uses data from 48 bird censuses carried out between October 2016 and September 2018. The method used is that of a census route with sampling stations, with a total count on the sheet of water.