Hydrocoloeus minutus -- Pallas, 1776 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- CHARADRIIFORMES -- LARIDAE Common names: Little Gull; Mouette pygmée

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1 Hydrocoloeus minutus -- Pallas, 1776 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- CHARADRIIFORMES -- LARIDAE Common names: Little Gull; Mouette pygmée Assessment Information European Red List Status NT -- Near Threatened, (IUCN version 3.1) European Red List Assessment Year published: 2015 Date assessed: Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Tarzia, M., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Near Threatened (NT) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) This gull began undergoing rapid declines in its European breeding range during the 2000s. Extrapolated over a three generation period (32 years) these declines result in its classification as Near Threatened in Europe. Within the EU27 this species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km 2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK) Vagrant: Faroe Islands (to DK); Greenland (to DK); Iceland; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg Population The European population is estimated at 23,700-45,200 pairs, which equates to 47,400-90,500 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 12,800-18,300 pairs, which equates to 25,600-36,600 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. In Europe the population size is estimated and projected to be decreasing at a rate approaching 30% over the period from 2000, when the decline is estimated to have started in Russia, which holds nearly 50% of the European population, to 2032 (three generations). In the EU27 the population size is estimated to be decreasing by less than 25% over the same period. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend Habitats and Ecology Its habitat includes coastal areas, lagoons, sandy beaches, mouths of streams and rivers. It breeds mainly

2 inland, from subarctic to temperate forest, at freshwater lakes, river valleys, marshes and bogs with abundant vegetation; locally at coastal lagoons; nests on sandbanks, in reedbeds and in marsh vegetation. Its diet is varied and includes mostly invertebrates. It is mainly insectivorous when breeding and during migration. During winter it may also prey on fish. Feeds by walking, and swimming; hovers in air and foot-patters on surface. Also feeds tern-like by surface-dipping, flying into wind and dropping to seize insects from surface of water. Occasionally plunge-dives (Burger and Gochfeld 1996). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable non-breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable passage Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable breeding Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable passage Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable breeding Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable passage Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable breeding Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable non-breeding Marine Neritic - Estuaries suitable non-breeding Marine Neritic - Macroalgal/Kelp suitable passage Marine Neritic - Macroalgal/Kelp major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Pelagic major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Seagrass (Submerged) suitable passage Marine Neritic - Seagrass (Submerged) major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel suitable passage Marine Neritic - Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs suitable passage Marine Neritic - Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy suitable passage Marine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy major non-breeding Marine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy-Mud suitable passage Marine Neritic - Subtidal Sandy-Mud major non-breeding Marine Oceanic - Epipelagic (m) marginal non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable passage Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable passage Altitude Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species is threatened by habitat degradation, including changes in hydrographic conditions from damming and irrigation works (Rašomavičius 2007, Ellermaa and Linden 2011). It is vulnerable to oil spills (Mendel et al. 2008) and other types of marine pollution, including agricultural run-off (pesticides, biocides) (Ellermaa and Linden 2011). It is vulnerable to being caught as bycatch in fishing gear, including in gillnets (Zydelis et al. 2013). It is considered moderately vulnerable to collision with offshore wind farms (Bradbury et al. 2014) and can be disturbed at sea by shipping traffic. Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources (unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]) Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown Indirect ecosystem effects

3 Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Energy production Renewable energy & mining Human intrusions & Recreational disturbance activities Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Unknown Unknown Species disturbance Invasive and other Unspecified species problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive and other Unspecified species problematic species, genes & diseases Natural system Abstraction of modifications surface water (agricultural use) Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Natural system Dams (size modifications unknown) Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Natural system Other ecosystem modifications modifications Ecosystem degradation; Indirect ecosystem effects Pollution Herbicides and pesticides Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation; Indirect ecosystem effects Pollution Industrial & military effluents (type unknown/ unrecorded) Ecosystem degradation; Indirect ecosystem effects; Pollution Oil spills Past, Likely to Return Majority (50-90%) Rapid Declines Past Impact Transportation & Shipping lanes service corridors Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Unknown Unknown Species disturbance Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Listed under the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement and on Appendix II of the Bern Convention. It is

4 listed on Annex I of the EU Birds Directive. It is listed within 106 marine Important Bird Areas. Within the EU it is listed within 575 Special Protection Areas. Conservation Actions Proposed Identification and designation of marine protected areas for important sites at sea. Observer programmes on gillnet fisheries across its range to monitor bycatch rates. Bibliography Bradbury, G., Trinder, M., Furness, B., Banks, A.N., Caldow, R.W.G., Hume, D., (2014). Mapping Seabird Sensitivity to Offshore Wind Farms. PLoS ONE 9, e Burger, J. & Gochfeld, M. (1996). Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2014). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Ellermaa, M. & Linden, A. 2011: Suojeltavien kosteikkolintujen kannat ovat romahtaneet Natura-alueilla. - Linnut-vuosikirja 2011: Mendel, B., N. Sonntag, J. Wahl, P. Schwemmer, H. Dries, N. Guse, S. Müller & S. Garthe (2008): Profiles of seabirds and waterbirds of the German North and Baltic Sea - distribution, ecology and sensitivities to interventions in their marine habitat. Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (in German) 59, Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Bonn. Rašomavičius, V. (red.) Lietuvos raudonoji knyga. Kaunas: Lututė, 800 p. (Red Data Book of Lithuania, 2007) Map (see overleaf)

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