Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii) a great ´twitch´during Birdwatching Spain

Audouin’s gulls – size 19-20.5 inches – wingspan 50-54 inches, although not seen in the yard of Refugio Marnes, they can be observed at a half hour drive along the Mediterranean coast.  For birdwatchers from Northern Europe it is an amazing sight because the world’s population of this species is almost entirely confined to the Mediterranean. The seagull named after Jean Victoire Audouin (French naturalist 1797-1841) are easily recognized by their red beak with a black spot. The tip of the beak is often light colored and they have gray legs. In the sixties of the last century there were several hundred birds in Spain, but from the eighties onwards the species has recovered to about 10,000 breeding pairs in the most recent surveys. Birdwatching Spain;Because the number of suitable nesting sites in other countries around the Mediterranean Sea has been shrinking, Spain is now the most important place in the world for Audouin’s gulls. The species prefers to breed on peaceful rocky islands where there is little disturbance by human activity. Audouin’s gulls eat mainly fish, preferring anchovies and sardines, but both maritime and land insects are also eaten. In the vicinity of Refugio Marnes, Parque Natural de las Albuferas is a good place to see them, and for example in the area of Marjal Pego-Oliva. More South in the province of Alicante, Salinas de Santa Pola is a good sight as well. Birdwatching Spain a great outdoor activity on the Costa Blanca