Relict Gull

Ichthyaetus relictus

Vulnerable · IUCN Red List

VUVulnerableFishWetland490 g

ID tip

The gull is 44 to 45 cm long with a stocky, thick body. Non-breeding adults feature uniformly dark-smudged ear-coverts and hind crown, white-tipped wings, prominent, isolated black subterminal markings on outer primaries, and no white leading edge to outer wing. Breeding birds have black hoods (including napes) with grey-brown foreheads, and broad, white, half-moon colouring behind, below, and above their eyes. Their legs are orange and their bills scarlet. The name comes from its status as a relict species.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Relict Gull

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Relict Gull

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 5 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Taiwan, Macao SAR China.

About the Relict Gull

The relict gull or Central Asian gull is a medium-sized gull. It was believed to be an eastern race of the Mediterranean gull until 1971 and was traditionally placed in the genus Larus.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

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