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Mediterranean Seabirds Guide: 12 Iconic Species with Pictures & Features

2025-06-06 11:13:05 47

Mediterranean seabirds include the Mediterranean Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan), the Mediterranean Corey's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), the Great Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), the European Cormorant (Gulosus aristotelis) and the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), among many others.

地中海的海鸟

Table of Contents

  1. Yelkouan Shearwater

  2. Scopoli’s Shearwater

  3. Northern Gannet

  4. Great Cormorant

  5. European Shag

  6. Audouin’s Gull

  7. Yellow-legged Gull

  8. Sandwich Tern

  9. Razorbill

  10. Red-breasted Merganser

  11. European Storm-petrel

  12. Parasitic Jaeger


1. Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan)

地中海海鸟 - 地中海鹱

The Yelkouan Shearwater is a medium-sized seabird endemic to the Mediterranean. It breeds in noisy colonies on rocky islands and feeds on fish, cephalopods, and fishery discards. Known for its long lifespan, it has a low reproductive rate, laying just a few eggs per year.


2. Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)

地中海海鸟——地中海科里氏海燕

Scopoli’s Shearwater is a large pelagic seabird breeding around the Mediterranean and wintering off West Africa. It preys on small fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, often following fishing boats. Nests are built in caves on islands, with just one white egg laid each year.


3. Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)

地中海海鸟 - 大西洋塘鹅

The Northern Gannet is one of the largest seabirds to visit the Mediterranean, especially in winter. It is white with a yellowish head, diving from great heights to catch fish. Gannets return to the same nesting colonies annually, producing only one chick per year.


4. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

地中海海鸟 - 大鸬鹚

A winter visitor to the region, the Great Cormorant has dark plumage and white patches on the face and throat. Its long neck and prominent bill make it an expert fish hunter. They are often seen drying their less-waterproof feathers while perched on rocks or logs.


5. European Shag (Gulosus aristotelis)

地中海海鸟——鸬鹚

The European Shag is smaller and more slender than the Great Cormorant, found on rocky, inaccessible Mediterranean coasts. Population declines are due to overfishing, pollution, and fishing net accidents.


6. Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

地中海海鸟 - 奥杜安鸥

Endemic and rare, Audouin’s Gull nests on remote rocky islands, especially in the Ebro Delta. Its diet is mainly pelagic fish and both terrestrial and marine invertebrates. This species prefers quiet areas away from urban centers.


7. Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

地中海海鸟 - 黄腿鸥

The Yellow-legged Gull is the largest and most abundant gull in the Mediterranean, with strong adaptability. It inhabits a range of habitats from marshes and wetlands to cities and open sea, and is an opportunistic feeder.


8. Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)

地中海海鸟 - 三趾鸥

The Sandwich Tern is one of the most common terns in the region, forming dense and noisy breeding colonies. They are skilled at plunge-diving from 10–15 meters to catch medium-sized fish and are fully migratory.


9. Razorbill (Alca torda)

地中海海鸟 - 刀嘴海雀

Razorbills are black and white seabirds, with a distinctive white line from the eye to the beak. Found mainly in northern Europe and along France and Britain’s coasts, they breed on cold, rocky cliffs and are agile underwater fish hunters.


10. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

地中海海鸟 - 中型秋沙鸭

This species is easily recognized by its shaggy crest and sexual dimorphism. Red-breasted Mergansers breed in mountainous and coastal vegetated areas, feeding mainly on salmon, perch, and carp.


11. European Storm-petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)

地中海海鸟 - 欧洲风暴海燕

The smallest seabird in Europe, the European Storm-petrel is dark, fast, and agile in flight, skimming the ocean’s surface for small crustaceans, cephalopods, and jellyfish. It nests in inaccessible rocky sites and lays just one egg per year.


12. Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)

地中海海鸟 - 寄生贼鸥

The Parasitic Jaeger resembles a gull but has pointed wings and a hooked bill. Highly migratory, it is known for its kleptoparasitic habits—harassing other seabirds to steal their food—and fiercely defends its Arctic tundra or grassland nests.


Summary

These 12 seabird species are vital to the Mediterranean ecosystem and showcase the region’s unique biodiversity. Protecting these birds and their habitats is crucial for the health of Mediterranean marine environments.


animal tags: Mediterranean Seabirds