Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus)

Family
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, Skimmers)

Size
24 - 30 cm
Wingspan: 75 - 80 cm

First Described (Guide)
Pallas, 1776

Habitat
Well vegetated freshwater lakes, wetlands and rivers in taiga and steppe. In non-breeding season , coasts, beaches and river mouths.

Range (Guide)

Albania (NB), Algeria, Austria, Azerbaijan (NB), Belarus (B), Belgium (P), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria (NB), Canada (B) (P), China (mainland), Colombia, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (NB), Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (NB), Denmark (B) (NB) (P), Egypt, Estonia (B) (NB), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (NB) (P), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Gibraltar (NB), Greece (NB) (P), Guinea-bissau, Hungary (NB) (P), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (NB) (P), Ireland (P), Israel, Italy (NB) (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kyrgyzstan (NB) (P), Latvia (B) (NB), Lebanon (NB), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania (B) (NB) (P), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (NB), Malta (NB), Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia (B), Montenegro (NB), Morocco, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), Norway (B), Palestinian Authority Territories (NB), Poland (B) (NB) (P), Portugal (NB), Romania (B) (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (P), Russia (European) (B) (NB) (P), Serbia (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (NB) (P), Slovenia (NB), Spain (NB) (P), Sweden (B) (P), Switzerland (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey (NB) (P), Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Kingdom (NB) (P), USA (B), Uzbekistan.

Vagrant to Afghanistan (P), Angola, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, Cameroon, Faroe Islands, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greenland, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, India, Iraq (NB), Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, St Pierre and Miquelon (NB), Sudan, United Arab Emirates.

Population
Estimated population is 97,000 - 270,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Mainly insects in summer, marine invertebrates in winter.

Voice
Harsh, short, tern-like calls and a hoarse mewing uttered by juveniles.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (130)...)

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) [XC648634]
by Lars Edenius from F\u00e5rsk\u00e4ret, Nordmaling Municipality, V\u00e4sterbottens l\u00e4n, Sweden (call)

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) [XC572505]
by Uku Paal from S\u00e4\u00e4re, Saaremaa Parish, Saare maakond, United Kingdom (flight call)

Nest
Shallow depression on the ground, lined with grass, often over water.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 4; smooth, olive-brown to buff with darker spots and blotches; oval. Incubation: about 20 - 21 days beginning with the laying of the first egg.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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