Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Audouin’s Gull
Ichthyaetus audouinii
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
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.
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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds coastal southern Portugal and Spain through Mediterranean and associated seas eastward to Cyprus and southern Türkiye; winters southward to coast of Gambia.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Audouin'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.
