White-eyed Gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-eyed Gull

Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus (Temminck, 1825)

329 gWeight

The white-eyed gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) is a small gull that is endemic to the Red Sea.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Where and when it's recorded

White-eyed Gull has been recorded at 22 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Eilat north beachIsrael3,262 records
  2. El Gouna /Egypt157 records
  3. Hurghada Sewage WorksEgypt111 records
More places
  1. International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel44 records
  2. South CornicheSaudi Arabia37 records
  3. Eilat – KM20 Flamingo Pools 20Israel12 records
  4. Djibouti City – Kempinski HotelDjibouti11 records
  5. Ras Shukeir Sewage WorksEgypt11 records
  6. Aqaba Bird ObservatoryJordan8 records
  7. Al Jahra Reserve (Restricted access)Kuwait8 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IsraelEgyptSaudi ArabiaDjiboutiJordanKuwaitSomaliaEritrea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The white-eyed gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) is a small gull that is endemic to the Red Sea. Its closest relative is the sooty gull. The species is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN; human pressure and oil pollution are deemed the major threats.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the White-eyed Gull?

The White-eyed Gull weighs around 329 g.

Where does the White-eyed Gull live?

Its breeding range: Africa: islands off Red Sea coasts. It is most often recorded in Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

When is the best time to see the White-eyed Gull?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

What does the White-eyed Gull eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the White-eyed Gull in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
329 g
Habitat
Coast & tidal flats
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
More measurements
Wing
322 mm
Tail
116 mm
Bill
52 mm
Tarsus
44 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: islands off Red Sea coasts

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Ichthyaetus

Other birds in the genus Ichthyaetus

Pallas's GullPallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetusRelict GullRelict GullIchthyaetus relictusAudouin's GullAudouin's GullIchthyaetus audouiniiMediterranean GullMediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusSooty GullSooty GullIchthyaetus hemprichiiAfrican SkimmerAfrican SkimmerRynchops flavirostrisIndian SkimmerIndian SkimmerRynchops albicollisBlack SkimmerBlack SkimmerRynchops nigerAtlantic White TernAtlantic White TernGygis albaLittle White TernLittle White TernGygis microrhyncha
White-eyed Gull

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Carlos N. G. Bocos. ↗

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