Little Gull
CR

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutus

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_gull

Overview

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.

Threat summary

Habitat

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...

MARINE· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Laridae

Greater Black-backed GullVU

Greater Black-backed Gull

Larus marinus

Unknown
Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed GullVU

Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscus

Unknown
Caspian TernCR

Caspian Tern

Hydroprogne caspia

Unknown
Olrog's GullEN

Olrog's Gull

Larus atlanticus

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Little Gull classified as Critically Endangered?
Little Gull is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. 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.
Where does Little Gull live?
Little Gull occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Little Gull?
The main threats to Little Gull are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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