Slender-billed gull
Larus genei
Elena Shnayder · Lanchkhuti, Guria Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 37–40 cm, wingspan 90–102 cm
- Diet
- Fish, marine invertebrates, insects
- Status in Georgia
- Migrant, winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Adjara; Kvemo Kartli; Shida Kartli
- Habitat
- Sea coast, lagoons, estuaries, large lakes
- Family
- Laridae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2019); Georgia LC (2024)
The slender-billed gull keeps a white head even in summer, which sets it apart from the black-headed gull it closely resembles. It is 37–40 cm long with a wingspan of 90–102 cm. The body is pale grey, the head and breast are white and the tips of the primaries are black. The head and dark red bill look long and tapering, so the bird appears long-necked. In summer the breast has a faint pink flush. It is harmless to people. If you see a white-headed, long-billed gull with a pale yellow eye on the seashore, it is most likely a slender-billed gull. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant and winter visitor. In Georgia it is seen at various times of year, most often in May and June. Most records come from Adjara, from the coast at Batumi and Kobuleti, followed by Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli, at Nadarbazevi Lake. It is rated Least Concern (LC) both globally and in Georgia.
Identification
Slender-billed gull: how to identify it
A pale, medium-sized gull with a white head, a long neck and a long, thin, dark red bill. Its head stays white in summer. The legs are dark red and the iris is yellow.
Adults have a pale grey back and wings, a white head and breast and black tips to the primaries. In summer the breast and belly have a faint pink flush.
It is 37–40 cm long with a wingspan of 90–102 cm. It is slightly larger than the black-headed gull, with a much longer, gently tapering head and bill. The bill and legs are dark red and the eye is pale yellow.
Like other gulls, it takes two years to reach adult plumage. First-year birds have a black band at the tip of the tail and dark areas on the wings.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It breeds on the coasts of seas and large lakes: on sand spits, beaches, lagoons and islands near mudflats and marshes, and on salt lakes. Outside the breeding season it is almost entirely coastal, using shallow inshore waters, estuaries, bays and salt pans. It usually avoids harbours and is rarely seen far from the sea. In Georgia most records come from Adjara: from the coast at Batumi, Makhinjauri and Kobuleti. In Kvemo Kartli it has been seen at Kumisi Lake and in Gardabani Municipality, and in Shida Kartli at Nadarbazevi Lake and in Gori Municipality. There are a few records from around Poti, in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria, and from Abkhazia, at Gagra and Sukhumi.
The slender-billed 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. Three regions have enough records: Adjara, Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
About half of its food is fish. It flies a few metres above the water and plunges in when it sees prey. It probes mud with its bill for marine invertebrates such as crustaceans, and also catches insects in flight.
Birds breeding in central Asia are fully migratory, while other populations stay put or move only short distances. They return to breeding sites in late February, many along the western Black Sea coast, and leave in July. Many young birds spend the summer in the wintering areas. It lives in flocks all year, usually of up to 200 birds and sometimes up to 3,000. It breeds from late March to May in dense colonies, sometimes together with terns, of anything from ten to several thousand pairs. Neighbouring nests are only 20–50 cm apart. The nest is a deep scrape on open mud, sparsely lined with feathers and bits of plants. The female lays up to three white, brown-spotted eggs. Incubation lasts about 25 days, and the young fly after another 25 days.
Globally the slender-billed gull is rated Least Concern (LC, 2019). A 2012 estimate puts the number of mature birds at 180,000–230,000. The overall trend is unknown: some populations are stable or increasing, while in Europe it is declining by less than 25% over three generations. Pollution of the Caspian Sea and oil spills reduce breeding success. Keeping islands in lagoons and deltas and protecting colonies from disturbance helps it breed. In Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC, 2024).
Related guides
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Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant and winter visitor. It is seen at various times of year, most often in May and June.
Most often on the coast at Batumi, Makhinjauri and Kobuleti. It has also been seen around Poti, at Kumisi and Nadarbazevi lakes, in Gardabani and Gori municipalities, and at Gagra and Sukhumi.
In summer the black-headed gull has a dark hood, while the slender-billed gull keeps a white head. It has a longer neck, a long, tapering head and a thin dark red bill, and a pale yellow eye. In summer its breast is faintly pink.
It is 37–40 cm long with a wingspan of 90–102 cm, slightly larger than a black-headed gull.
About half of its food is fish, which it catches by plunging into the water. It probes mud for marine invertebrates and also catches insects in flight.
It is harmless to people. It is rated Least Concern (LC) both globally and in Georgia, though the European population is declining. Water pollution and oil spills threaten it. 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.
