Field Guide
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Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
Not yet photographed by the community
White-winged; jet-black hood in summer, spreading in UK.
Species Profile
Green List (UK); Least Concern (IUCN)
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 36–38 cm, wingspan 100–105 cm; 250–330 g
- Habitat
- Coastal areas, estuaries, harbours, and inland lakes with suitable nesting sites and shallow feeding grounds.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeder and year-round resident in southern and central England, Wales, and south-west Scotland; numbers have increased dramatically since the 1960s, with northward range expansion continuing.
- Diet
- Small fish, particularly sand eels, sprats, and anchovies; also crustaceans and marine invertebrates obtained by surface feeding and shallow diving.
- Prey
- Small fish (sand eels, sprats, anchovies), crustaceans, marine invertebrates
- Predators
- Foxes, rats, and corvids (crows and magpies) targeting eggs and chicks; Peregrine Falcons and Herring Gulls as avian predators of adults.
- Mating Season
- March to July
- Breeding
- 2–3 eggs per clutch; incubation period 22–24 days; typically single-brooded; chicks fledge at 35–40 days.
- Behaviour
- Highly social, breeding in colonies ranging from dozens to hundreds of pairs. Distinctive loud, harsh calls and aggressive territorial behaviour during breeding season. Often associates with other gull species at roosts and feeding grounds.
- •Mediterranean Gulls have undergone a remarkable range expansion northwards since the 1960s, colonising the UK after being absent for over a century.
- •Adults develop a distinctive black cap in breeding plumage, whilst immatures require 2–3 years to acquire full adult plumage.
- •They have pure white wingtips without the black markings seen in Black-headed Gulls, making them easily identifiable in flight.
- •Mediterranean Gulls often nest on saltmarsh, shingle beaches, and man-made structures such as industrial buildings and rooftops.
- •They are more slender and elegant than larger gulls and rarely scavenge refuse, preferring to forage for live fish in shallow waters.
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