Mediterranean Gull (L. melanocephalus)

(last update: June 11, 2012)

LEFT: adult Mediterranean Gull, March 08 2008. Picture: J.M. Sauvage.

Mediterranean Gulls used to breed in a restricted area in the countries north of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and east to Dagestan. When Karel Voous wrote his Atlas of European Birds (1965) the distribution of this species was so limited that he suggested that it might be heading for extinction. Since the late 1980’s this species has spread north and the world population has increased spectacularly. It now breeds regularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Hungary and Poland. After the breeding season, Mediterranean Gull disperse westwards and can be found south along the Moroccan Atlantic coast and along the coasts of the Mediterranean. Large flocks congregate at the beaches of Boulogne-sur-Mer (NW France) from August to October, later moving southwards. In early spring tens of thousands can be seen at Cambrils on the north-eastern coast of Spain.

There are three distict periods to describe the presence and geographic distribution of Med Gulls in France:
1965-1975 In the Camargue, which is the only site for this species in France, a maximum of 2 couples raised chicks.
1976-1988 This colony gradually increased to 50 couples.
1989-1996 expansion up to 750 couples.

Babin Island - Ukraine, craddle of the entire European population.

Since the 1930s, the main Med Gull colonies were located in the N.P. Chernomorskyi Tendra Bay (Black Sea) on the northwest coast of the Black Sea in the south-western Ukraine. Since the 1970's, this reserve hosted almost all of the world population of the species. After reaching a maximum of 336.000 pairs in 1983, the population of the Bay of Tendra fluctuated extremely. The current population is at a much lower level with 60.000 pairs in 1994.

International situation: The origin of the species were long edges of marshes along the Black Sea. The species was threatened with extinction after the war, with only 6200 pairs in 1952. What followed can only be described as an explosion of the population, with already 42.000 pairs in 1957 and 336.000 in 1985. The species arrived in Hungary in 1940 and also in Austria; the Netherlands in 1959; Belgium in 1964; Britain in 1968; Italy in 1978; and Spain in 1987.
Source: Proceedings of the 1st international meeting on mediterranean gull, Le-Portel, Pas de Calais, France, 4-7 September 1998.

Most images on this page were taken at Le Portel / Boulogne-sur-Mer, France (50.42. 20 N,01.34.03 E).  Le Portel is known to be one of the best sites to see Mediterranean Gulls with numbers exceeding 3.000 individuals during some autumns. As can be seen in the images, many individuals are colour ringed or metal ringed, and come from Mediterranean Gull populations from all over Europe. Colour-ringing Mediterranean Gulls started in The Netherlands in 1989 with only a handful of birds. Twenty years on thousands of birds have been colour-ringed and at the start of 2008 there are tens of projects all over Europe.

Mediterranean Gull is a medium sized gull, with an intense black head in adult summer and rather pale grey upper-parts. Easy clues for identification and ageing in Mediterranean Gull are the median coverts and outer primaries. Most of the description below follows P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification".

3CY MEDITERRANEAN GULL

From June to September, a complete moult takes place, into so-called "third winter" or "adult winter" plumage. The head pattern resembles the pattern in first winter birds, with blackish mask behind the eye. The mantle, scapulars, tertials and all the wing-coverts are replaced for plain pearl-grey feathers. The secondaries are completely white. The adult primaries are shiny pearly-grey, flashing white at a distance. There is a black line along the outer-web of P10 (and sometimes on P9 as well). Secondaries, under-wing and tail all completely white. The bare part coloration in adult plumage: Iris brown, orbital ring red or orangey-red, the bill red or orangey-red with a black bill-band and a yellowish tip and the legs dull reddish or dark. There is some variation in 3cy and 4cy wing-tip patterns.

ADULT MEDITERRANEAN GULL

LEFT: adult Mediterranean Gull, March 11 2010. Picture: J.M. Sauvage.

The next moult in Mediterranean Gull is again a partial moult, from December to March-April and includes body and head, leaving birds in so-called "adult summer" plumage. The head develops a jet-black hood, extending down the nape. Adult birds have broad and contrasting white crescents above and below the eye. The bare part coloration in adult plumage: Iris brown, orbital ring coral red, the bill scarlet red often with a thin black bill-band and a yellowish tip and the legs red.

Adult Mediterranean Gulls have established several new colonies on the northern borders of their distribution. They now breed regularly as far west as Britain and north to the Netherlands and Poland. Ring recoveries demonstrate that in spring adults may do a tour of Europe visiting colonies on the way and moving on quickly when the local breeding circumstances are not completely satisfactory. A nice example is white 24R, a bird ringed as adult on the nest in the Netherlands in May 1998. As so many Mediterranean Gulls, this individual has usually spent the period from late-summer to early spring at Le Portel. In between it has looked for breeding locations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Hungary. Despite intensive searches in the Zandvliet colony, it doesn't seem likely that 24R has ever bred here. In four consecutive years, this colony was visited early in the breeding season when it also functions as a roost, but there have been no records after late April. The sightings in Hungary in 1999, when it was definitely breeding, and at the end of the breeding season in 2007 are interesting. There are no sightings from the breeding season in other years but it seems that this bird has permanently switched to breeding in eastern Europe. This life-history also demonstrates how easily birds may travel within Europe. The sightings in July 2007 show that they navigate without difficulty to the main moult and feeding-location of Le Portel in NW France, where autumn groups always include some eastern Mediterranean Gulls from Italy, Poland, Hungary and even the Ukraine.

A summary of the records for White 24R/9AP to illustrate the magnitude of recoveries and distribution, with thanks to P.L. Meininger, R. Flamant and C. Duponcheel of the Mediterranean Gull colour-ring programme:

• ringed May 27 1998 to July 01 1998 at Hellgatsplaten, the Netherlands (3 records)
• from July 23 1998 to February 27 1999 at Le Portel, France (27 records)
• from April 03 1999 to April 14 1999 at Zandvlietsluis, Belgium (7 records)
• June 17 and 18 1999 at Mekszikópuszta, Hungary (2 records)
• from July 30 1999 to March 07 2000 at Le Portel, France (12 records)
• from April 08 to 12 2000 at Zandvlietsluis, Belgium (3 records)
• from July 25 2000 to March 10 2001 at Le Portel, France (26 records)
• from April 17 to 23 2001 at Zandvlietsluis, Belgium (5 records)
• from July 25 2001 to October 10 2001 at Le Portel (11 records)
• April 01 to 17 2002 at Zandvlietsluis, Belgium (4 records)
• from July 26 2002 to March 15 2003 at Le Portel (17 records)
• March 23 2003 at Berendrecht, Belgium (close to Zandvlietsluis), re-ringed 9AP
• from July 30 2003 to October 16 2003 at Le Portel, France (8 records)
• from February 10 2004 to February 27 2004 at Le Portel, France (4 records)
• from July 30 2004 to October 26 2004 at Le Portel, France (12 records)
• February 23 2005 at Le Portel, France
• from July 28 2005 to February 2 2006 at or near Le Portel, France (37 records)
• from July 27 2006 to November 3 2006 at Le Portel, France (19 records)
• July 10 2007 at Mekszikópuszta, Györ-Sopron, Hungary
• from July 19 2007 to February 19 2008 at Le Portel, France (15 records)

Impression of a mixed resting flock of Mediterranean Gulls, with Black-headed, Herring, Common, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls in the evening of 06 February 2003, at the Rolo Parking of Boulogne/Mer, NW France.

Where do coloured ringed Mediterranean Gulls come from:

Small group of adult Mediterranean Gulls on the beach of Le Portel - NW France, preparing to leave this wintering quarter for the breeding grounds. Considering the green ringed bird in the front, these adults breed among others in Belgium and northern France. March 2003.