Pallas's Gull
Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
The Pallas's Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) is a uncommon skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 61 countries. Pallas's gull, also known as the great black-headed gull, is a large bird species.
About the Pallas's Gull
Pallas's gull, also known as the great black-headed gull, is a large bird species. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a very large gull, being easily the world's largest black-headed gull and the third largest species of gull in the world, after the great black-backed gull and the glaucous gull. It measures 55–72 cm (22–28 in) in length with a 142 to 170 cm (56 to 67 in) wingspan. Weight can vary from 0.96–2.1 kg (2.1–4.6 lb), with an average of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) in males and 1.22 kg (2.7 lb) in females. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 43.5 to 52 cm (17.1 to 20.5 in), the bill is 4.7 to 7.3 cm (1.9 to 2.9 in) and the tarsus is 6.5 to 8.4 cm (2.6 to 3.3 in).
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, Germany, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, United States.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pallas's Gull?
- This is a very large gull, being easily the world's largest black-headed gull and the third largest species of gull in the world, after the great black-backed gull and the glaucous gull. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Pallas's Gull?
- The Pallas's Gull occurs in 61 countries, including India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, China and Türkiye.
- What birds look similar to a Pallas's Gull?
- The Pallas's Gull is most easily confused with the Sooty Gull, the White-eyed Gull and the Relict Gull.
- Is the Pallas's Gull endangered?
- The Pallas's Gull is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pallas's Gull for real
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