| Mediterranean gull | |
|---|---|
| |
| Breeding plumage | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Ichthyaetus |
| Species: | I. melanocephalus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ichthyaetus melanocephalus (Temminck, 1820)
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| Range of I. melanocephalus Breeding Resident Non-breeding
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| Synonyms | |
|
Larus melanocephalus | |
The Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) is a small gull. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific melanocephalus is from melas, "black", and -kephalos "-headed".[2]
This gull breeds almost entirely in the Western Palearctic, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. There are colonies elsewhere in southern Europe, and this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in recent decades. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus.
- ^ BirdLife International (2015) [errata version of 2012 assessment]. "Larus melanocephalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T22694443A85050054. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 224, 246. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.