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) [XC414671]
by Stanislas Wroza from Metropolitana de Huelva (near Huelva), Huelva, Andaluc\u00eda, Spain (call, flight call, song)
Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) [XC178203]
by Stanislas Wroza from El Baix Ebre (near Deltebre), Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain (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 Caspian 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 Caspian 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 Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans).
References
See References.