Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Saunders’s Gull
Saundersilarus saundersi
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
Saunders's gull (Saundersilarus saundersi) or Chinese black-headed gull, is a species of gull in the family Laridae. It is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are estuarine waters and intertidal marshes. As with many other gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus, but based on phylogenetic work some have moved it to Chroicocephalus, while others argue it is sufficiently distinct for placement in the monotypic Saundersilarus.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds Yellow Sea coasts from Liaoning to Jiangsu (eastern China) and Songdo (northwestern South Korea); winters coasts of East China Sea from Japan and Korean Peninsula to northern Vietnam.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Saunders's gull
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
