Slender-billed Gull vs Mediterranean Gull

Larus genei compared with Larus melanocephalus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Slender-billed Gull Mediterranean Gull
Scientific Name Larus genei Larus melanocephalus
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Laridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 60.2 cm (23.7 in) 60.5 cm (23.8 in)
Weight 285.0 g (10.05 oz) 282.5 g (9.96 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-3 1-5
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Slender-billed Gull only

None

Mediterranean Gull only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Slender-billed Gull

Least Concern

Mediterranean Gull

About These Birds

Slender-billed Gull

Slender-billed Gull, 37–40 cm, breeds in Mediterranean and Black Sea saltmarshes and lagoons, wintering on West African coasts. Distinctive long slender bill gives a front-heavy profile; white head lacking hood, pinkish-white underparts. Feeds on fish and invertebrates in shallow coastal waters.

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull, 36–38 cm, has expanded dramatically since the 1970s, breeding across Europe from the Black Sea to Britain. Pure white body, jet-black hood in breeding plumage — the only gull with entirely white wingtips. Piscivore and invertivore; nests in colonies, often with Black-headed Gulls.

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