Armenian Gull
Larus armenicus
philip_g · Old Tbilisi Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 52–62 cm, wingspan 120–145 cm; 600–960 g
- Diet
- Fish, invertebrates, amphibians, rodents
- Status in Georgia
- Resident breeder, migrant, winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Tbilisi; Kvemo Kartli; Samtskhe-Javakheti; Mtskheta-Mtianeti; Shida Kartli
- Habitat
- Mountain lakes, reservoirs, rivers, cities
- Family
- Laridae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2021); Georgia LC (2024)
The Armenian gull nests on the shores of mountain lakes, in colonies so dense that neighbours often fight over territory. A single colony can hold more than 4,000 pairs. The largest colonies are in Armenia, at Lake Sevan and Lake Arpi. It is a large gull, 52–62 cm long, with a wingspan of 120–145 cm and a weight of 600–960 g. On average it is the smallest of the herring gull group. It has a grey back, yellow legs, dark eyes, and a short bill with a black band and a red spot near the tip. It is harmless to people. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a resident breeder, a migrant and a winter visitor. In Georgia it is seen in every month of the year. In autumn and winter most records come from Tbilisi, from the Mtkvari and Lisi Lake, and from April to August from Samtskhe-Javakheti, from the Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki and Aspindza municipalities. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Armenian Gull: how to identify it
A large gull with a grey back, yellow legs and dark eyes. It looks like the yellow-legged gull, but is slightly smaller, with a slightly darker back and a short bill with a black band near the tip.
Adults have a grey back and wings, a white head, breast and belly, and yellow legs. The eyes are dark. The black on the wingtips is extensive and the white spots in it are small.
The bill is short, with a black band and a red spot near the tip. This, the dark eye and the slightly darker back set it apart from the yellow-legged and Caspian gulls. It is 52–62 cm long with a wingspan of 120–145 cm.
In their first winter young birds are mostly brown, with a whitish rump, pale inner primaries and a narrow, sharply defined black band on the tail.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It lives both on the coast and on inland waters: lakes, reservoirs, ponds and rivers. It also forages on flooded meadows and irrigated land, and in winter on farmland and fish ponds. It breeds on the stony and grassy shores of mountain lakes, in reedbeds and on beaches, from sea level up to 1,900 m. In Georgia most records come from Tbilisi: from Vake-Saburtalo, Old Tbilisi, the banks of the Mtkvari and Lisi Lake, all year round and most often in September. In Kvemo Kartli it is seen in Gardabani Municipality, at Kumisi Lake and on the Tbilisi Sea. In Samtskhe-Javakheti the records are mainly from April to August, from the Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki, Aspindza and Borjomi municipalities and Tabatskuri Lake. In Mtskheta-Mtianeti it is seen mainly in winter, in Mtskheta Municipality. In Shida Kartli it has been seen at Nadarbazevi Lake and in Gori Municipality, mainly in August and September. There are single records from the Dedoplistskaro and Lagodekhi municipalities in Kakheti, and from Kutaisi, Guria and Batumi.
The Armenian gull map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Five regions have enough records: Tbilisi, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Shida Kartli.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
Its diet is poorly known. It probably eats mainly fish, as well as land invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and rodents. Like other large gulls, it also feeds at rubbish dumps.
Most birds make short migrations on a narrow front, along the rivers and deltas of Turkey, between their breeding and wintering grounds. Many winter on the coasts of Turkey, Lebanon and Israel, and fewer in Cyprus, Egypt and the Persian Gulf. A small share of the birds stays on the breeding grounds all year. It breeds from late April in colonies that can hold more than 4,000 pairs. The nests are very close together, often 1–2 m apart, among stones and grass, under rocks or bushes, on islands or the lakeshore. The nest is a loose heap of dry grass. The female lays three eggs, mainly in late April.
Globally the Armenian gull is rated Least Concern (LC, 2021). There are 45,000–73,000 mature birds, including the estimates for Georgia, Armenia and Turkey, and the number is increasing. A 2019 census counted 14,800 breeding pairs in Armenia, at Lake Sevan and Lake Arpi. In the past its numbers fell sharply through persecution and egg collecting, because it was seen as harmful to fisheries. Lowering the water level of Lake Sevan cut its breeding success sharply. Today it is threatened by poaching at fish farms, eutrophication of Lake Sevan and waste recycling, which leaves less food at rubbish dumps. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it Least Concern (LC) in Georgia.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a resident breeder, a migrant and a winter visitor. It is seen in every month of the year. It breeds by mountain lakes in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and western Iran.
Most often in Tbilisi, on the banks of the Mtkvari and at Lisi Lake, especially in autumn and winter. In summer it is seen in Javakheti, in the Ninotsminda, Akhalkalaki and Aspindza municipalities and at Tabatskuri Lake. It has also been seen at Kumisi Lake, on the Tbilisi Sea and at Nadarbazevi Lake.
All three have a grey back and pale legs. The Armenian gull is slightly smaller, with a slightly darker back, a dark eye and a short bill with a black band and a red spot near the tip. The black on its wingtips is extensive and the white spots are small.
It is 52–62 cm long, with a wingspan of 120–145 cm and a weight of 600–960 g. On average it is the smallest of the herring gull group.
Its diet is poorly known. It probably eats mainly fish, as well as land invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and rodents. It also feeds at rubbish dumps.
On the shores and islands of mountain lakes, from late April, in very dense colonies. The nest is a heap of dry grass on the ground, among stones and grass. The female lays three eggs.
It is harmless to people. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC), and its number is increasing. In the past persecution and egg collecting drove its numbers down. If you find an injured bird, call 112 or the environmental protection service.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
