Mediterranean Gull

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Mediterranean Gull, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Amber listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	Yes
Birds Directive Annex 1	Yes
Listed on the Annexes of	WCA(I), WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA

This species was first recorded as a UK breeding species in Hampshire in 1968 (Taverner 1970). Since then it has expanded its range and now breeds in all four countries of the UK and its population has increased substantially. Numbers reported to the RBBP peaked at 2,400 pairs in 2018 but dropped to c.1,200 pairs in 2019, due mostly to a large reduction at one colony in Hampshire (Eaton et al. 2021).

UK winter population

+5300% increase (1995/96 to 2020/21)

Mediterranean Gulls first bred in Britain in 1968 and have bred annually since the late 1970s. Breeding in Britain is concentrated along the south and east coasts between Dorset and Norfolk but the expansion to inland sites in Britain, where they breed amongst Black-headed Gulls, is one of the most striking changes since the 1988–91 Breeding Atlas. The population is still increasing and spreading northwards. In winter, Mediterranean Gulls have a largely coastal distribution, though careful scanning through flocks of Black-headed Gulls at inland gull roosts and refuse tips probably accounts for the band of occupied squares from northwest England, through the midlands to London and the southeast.

Mediterranean Gulls can be recorded throughout the year, although there is a post-breeding influx from July onwards.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing

18 years 2 months 28 days (set in 2009)

Ring size	E
Field Codes	2-letter: MU | 5-letter code: MEDGU | Euring: 5750

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Causes of change

The Mediterranean Gull expanded its range across Europe during the 20th century and this expansion has continued across the UK. The precise reasons for its success are unclear.