Vagrant to Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Israel (NB), Jordan, Malta, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Mediterranean coasts, with main breeding areas at Ebro Delta (north-eastern Spain) and Chafarinas Is (off north-eastern Morocco), scattered colonies east to Tunisia, Aegean Sea, southern Turkey and Cyprus. Winters south to Senegambia.
 
Population
Estimated population is 58,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) [XC783514]
by Jordi Calvet from Valencia, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (call)
Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus) [XC125874]
by Alexis Bukowski from Oualidia, Morocco (call)
Subspecies
Probably closest to Mew Gull (Larus canus).
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Compared with Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) (especially juveniles) and Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans), Audouin's Gull (Larus audouinii) has a more elegant appearance with with long, sloping forehead and different facial expression. Legs, bill and iris dark at all ages. Paler grey upperparts than Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) or Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans); in flight the wings are slimmer and more pointed and tail appears short narrow. Only one mirror in wingtip compared to usual two in Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans).
References
See References.