Mew Gull
Larus canus
Anna Parkhaeva · Noginsky District
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 40–46 cm, wingspan 100–115 cm
- Diet
- Earthworms, insects, invertebrates, small fish
- Status in Georgia
- Migrant, winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Kvemo Kartli
- Habitat
- Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, sea coast
- Family
- Laridae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2018); Georgia LC (2024)
The mew gull usually nests on the ground by water, but sometimes it nests in a small tree, on an artificial structure or even in a nest box. It is a medium-sized gull, 40–46 cm long with a wingspan of 100–115 cm, noticeably smaller than the herring gull. It is grey above and white below, with a short greenish-yellow bill, yellow legs and large white spots on its black wingtips. It is harmless to people. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant and a winter visitor. Records from Georgia are still few, from 2023–2024, mainly from December to February. Most come from the northern outskirts of Tbilisi, around Gldani and Nadzaladevi on the border of Kvemo Kartli, and from Kumisi Lake and Gardabani Municipality. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Mew Gull: how to identify it
A medium-sized gull with a grey back, a white head and underparts, a short greenish-yellow bill and yellow legs. It is much smaller than the large gulls, with a rounder head and a slimmer bill.
Adults have a grey back and white underparts. The wingtips are black, with large white spots on the two outermost primaries. In the breeding season the bill is plain greenish-yellow and the legs are yellow.
In winter the head is streaked grey, the legs turn duller and the bill often shows a faint dark band near the tip. It is 40–46 cm long with a wingspan of 100–115 cm. The call is a high-pitched 'laughing' cry.
Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts and pink legs, which turn greyish in the second year and then yellow. In the first winter the head and belly are white with fine streaks. They take three years to reach adult plumage.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It breeds on the coast and by inland waters: on cliff ledges, grassy slopes, islands, sandy and shingle beaches, islands in lakes and rivers, bogs, marshes and meadows, from sea level up to 1,400 m. After the young fledge it disperses to coasts, estuaries, farmland and reservoirs. In winter it is seen more often on the coast, on estuaries, sandy beaches and mudflats. In Georgia records are still few. Most come from the border of Kvemo Kartli, on the northern outskirts of Tbilisi around Gldani and Nadzaladevi, from December to February. In Kvemo Kartli it has also been seen at Kumisi Lake and in Gardabani Municipality. A few records from August come from the Gldani micro-district. There are single records from Old Tbilisi and Sukhumi.
The mew 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. One region has enough records: Kvemo Kartli.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It is an omnivore that both hunts and scavenges. It eats earthworms, insects, aquatic and land invertebrates including planktonic crustaceans, crayfish and molluscs, and small fish. In spring it also takes grain from fields.
It is mainly migratory: it breeds in the northern Palearctic, from Iceland to northeast Siberia, and winters in Europe, on the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, in the Persian Gulf and on the seas of East Asia. Birds in northwest Europe are partly resident. In winter it feeds in flocks of a hundred or more. It breeds from May, in single pairs or in colonies of usually up to 300 pairs, and up to 1,000 in the Baltic. Both parents build the nest on the ground or in a small tree, by water or in a marsh. The female usually lays three eggs, sometimes one or two. Both parents incubate for 24–26 days. The chicks are active soon after hatching but stay near the nest, and they fly at about 35 days.
Globally the mew gull is rated Least Concern (LC, 2018). There are about 2,500,000–3,700,000 birds worldwide. In Europe 640,000–1,080,000 pairs breed, or 1,280,000–2,160,000 mature birds. In Europe the number is falling, by less than 25% over three generations, or 29.4 years, while the global trend is unknown. In the past it was threatened by habitat loss, disturbance and the American mink, but today none of these counts as a serious threat. The species is covered by the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement. 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 migrant and a winter visitor. It does not breed here. Records are still few, mainly from December to February.
In winter on the northern outskirts of Tbilisi, around Gldani and Nadzaladevi, and at Kumisi Lake and in Gardabani Municipality. There are single records from Old Tbilisi and Sukhumi.
It is much smaller, 40–46 cm long. It has a rounder head and a short, slim, greenish-yellow bill, without a red spot in breeding adults. Its black wingtips have large white spots.
It is 40–46 cm long, with a wingspan of 100–115 cm. It is noticeably smaller than the herring gull.
Earthworms, insects, aquatic and land invertebrates, crayfish, molluscs and small fish. In spring it also takes grain, and it scavenges as well.
In northern Europe and Asia, from May, in single pairs or in colonies. The nest is on the ground or in a small tree near water. The female usually lays three eggs, both parents incubate for 24–26 days, and the chicks fly at about 35 days.
It is harmless to people. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC), although in Europe its number is slowly falling. 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.
