Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusHydrocoloeus
- SpeciesHydrocoloeus minutus (Little Gull)
About the Little Gull
The little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) 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 was first formally described as Larus minutus in 1776 by the German ornithologist Peter Simon Pallas with its type locality given as Berezovo, Tobolsk in Siberia. In 1829, Johann Jakob Kaup proposed the genus Hydrocoloeus for this species, and George Robert Gray later formally designated Larus minutus as the type species of the genus. Kaup had also included Larus plumbiceps Meyer, 1822 in his genus Hydrocoloeus; this is a synonym of Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus (grey-headed gull). Hydrocoloeus minutus is the binomial accepted for this species and it is classified in the family Laridae, the gulls and terns, in the order Charadriiformes.
Within the Laridae, its closest relative is Ross's gull Rhodostethia rosea; some authors have even included Ross's gull in Hydrocoloeus rather than giving it its own genus... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Little Gull in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellis
Common Gull
Larus canus
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 13 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 14 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 15 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 16 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Little Gull in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Gull sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Little Gull in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Little Gull in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in our monthly data.