Audouin’s gull

Audouin´s Gull, Audouins Meeuw, Korallenmöwe, Gaivota de Audouin

Spotted on the westcoast of the Alentejo region of Portugal. Audouin´s Gull sound

The Audouin’s gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ikhthus, “fish”, and aetos, “eagle”, and the specific audouinii and the English name are after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin.

More photos at the bottom of this page.

It breeds on small islands colonially or alone, laying 2–3 eggs on a ground nest. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus.

In the late 1960s, this was one of the world’s rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.

This species, unlike many large gulls, rarely scavenges, but is a specialist fish eater, and is therefore strictly coastal and pelagic. This bird will feed at night, often well out to sea, but also slowly patrols close into beaches, occasionally dangling its legs to increase drag.

The adult basically resembles a small European herring gull, the most noticeable differences being the short stubby red bill and “string of pearls” white wing primary tips, rather than the large “mirrors” of some other species. The legs are grey-green. It takes four years to reach adult plumage.

This species shows little tendency to wander from its breeding areas, but there were single records in the Netherlands and England in May 2003.

The Audouin’s gull is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Other synonyms:

Bulgarian: Средиземноморска чайка
Catalan: Gavina corsa, Gavina roja
Catalan (Balears): Gavina roja
Czech: Racek Audouinuv, racek Audouinùv, Racek Audouinův, Racek zelenonohý
Welsh: Gwylan Audouin
Danish: Audouinsmåge
German: Korallenmöve, Korallenmowe, Korallenmöwe
Greek: Αιγαιόγλαρος, Νησόγλαρος
Greek (Cypriot): Νησόγλαρος
English: Audouini’s Gull, Audouin’s Gull
Spanish: Gaviota de Andouin, Gaviota de Audouin
Spanish (Spain): Gaviota de Audouin
Estonian: vahemere kajakas
Basque: Audouin kaio, Gavina corsa
Finnish: Välimerenlokki
French: Goéland d’Audouin, Goéland d’Audouin
Galician: Gaivota de Audouin, Gavina corsa
Hebrew: שחף אדום מקור, שחף אדום־מקור, שחף אדום-מקור
Croatian: Južni galeb
Hungarian: Korallsirály
Icelandic: Kóralmáfur
Italian: Gabbiano corso
Japanese: akahashikamome
Japanese: アカハシカモメ
Latin: Ichthyaetus audouinii, Ichthyaetyus audouinii, Larus audouinii
Lithuanian: Koralinis Kiras, Viduržeminis kiras
Latvian: Oduēna kaija
Maltese: Gawwija Geddumha Aħmar, Gawwija Munqarha Ahmar
Dutch: Adouins Meeuw, Audouinmeeuw, Audouins Meeuw
Norwegian: Middelhavsmåke
Polish: mewa sródziemnomorska, mewa śródziemnomorska, mewa sródziemnomorska LRcd, mewa śródziemnomorska LRcd
Portuguese: Gaivota de Audouin
Portuguese (Portugal): Gaivota-de-audouin
Romansh: Muetta d’Audouin
Russian: Одуэнова чайка, Одуэнова чайка – Чайка Одуэна – Сре…, Чайка Одуэна
Slovak: Čajka ostrovná
Slovenian: sredozemski galeb
Albanian: Pulëbardha e kepit
Serbian: Sredozemni galeb, Црвеноклјуни галеб
Swedish: Rödnäbbad trut
Turkish: Ada Martısı, ada martysy, Audouin Martısı
Chinese: 地中海鸥
Chinese (Traditional): 地中海鷗

Birders Birdwatching Holiday in the Alentejo region of Portugal, Individual guided tours, trips, excursions and birding holiday.