# Mediterranean gull (*Ichthyaetus melanocephalus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/mediterranean-gull  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is a bird in the family Laridae and the order Charadriiformes. It is a small bird with an adult body mass of 256 g and a wingspan of 96 cm. It is a partially migratory omnivore of coastal habitats, with a trophic level of carnivore and a geographic range of 250,500 km². It lays 3 eggs per clutch, one clutch per year, incubates them for 24 days and reaches sexual maturity at 2.9 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 256 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 96 cm |
| Lifespan | 15 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 22.1 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal |
| Egg incubation | 24 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.4 – 3 |
| Age at maturity | 2.74 years – 3 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Lifestyle | Generalist |
| Migration | Partial |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Charadriiformes
- family: Laridae
- genus: Ichthyaetus
- species: *Ichthyaetus melanocephalus* (Temminck, 1820)

Synonyms: *Larus caniceps*, *Larus melanocephalus*, *Larus melanocephalus melanocephalus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the mediterranean gull?

The mediterranean gull is a bird in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes.

### How big is the mediterranean gull?

It has an adult body mass of 256 g and a wingspan of 96 cm, which places it in the small size class.

### What does the mediterranean gull eat?

Its diet category is omnivore, and its trophic level is listed as carnivore.

### How long does the mediterranean gull live?

Its lifespan is 15 years, with values up to 22 years reported by sources.

### How many eggs does the mediterranean gull lay?

It lays 3 eggs per clutch and has 1 clutch per year, with an incubation period of 24 days.

### When does the mediterranean gull reach sexual maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 2.9 years, with reported values from 2.7 to 3.0 years.

### Is the mediterranean gull migratory?

Yes, it is partially migratory, and its habitat is coastal.

### Who named the mediterranean gull?

The scientific name Ichthyaetus melanocephalus carries the authority (Temminck, 1820).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/mediterranean-gull