Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
The little gull is a species of gull belonging to the family Laridae which is mainly found in the Palearctic with some small colonies in North America. It breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes, and spends winters at sea.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_gull
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae
Genus
Hydrocoloeus
Little Gull belongs to the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The little gull is a species of gull belonging to the family Laridae which is mainly found in the Palearctic with some small colonies in North America. It breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes, and spends winters at sea. It is the smallest species of gull in the world, and the only species in the monospecific genus Hydrocoloeus.
The Little Gull faces significant threats from habitat loss and degradation of its breeding wetlands, particularly due to drainage and development of marshes and shallow lakes. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and water levels in critical breeding areas, while pollution and human disturbance at both breeding and wintering sites further compromise population stability.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
The little gull has a wide Palearctic distribution breeding from northern Scandinavia and the eastern Baltic Sea to eastern Siberia. They also breed in North America around the Great Lakes. It is a migratory species which winters along the coasts of Europe as far south as the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas. They are uncommon in the western Pacific. In North America they winter along the...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Little Gull faces significant threats from habitat loss and degradation of its breeding wetlands, particularly due to drainage and development of marshes and shallow lakes. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and water levels in critical breeding areas, while pollution and human disturbance at both breeding and wintering sites further compromise population stability.
Climate change impacts on breeding sites
Wetland habitat loss and degradation
Human disturbance at breeding colonies
Pollution of aquatic habitats
Water level fluctuations in breeding areas
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/little-gull