Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Data DeficientAves · Charadriiformes · Laridae
About
Hartlaub's gull is a small gull in the genus Chroicocephalus. It was formerly placed in the genus Larus until genetic research demonstrated that the old broad view of that genus was paraphyletic. In the past it had sometimes been treated as a subspecies of the Australasian silver gull, but is now treated as a separate species; current genetic evidence suggests its closest relative is not the silver gull but the African and South American grey-headed gull, and in particular the African subspecies of it C. c. poiocephalus.
Fun Fact
Although it is a relatively rare species, about the tenth rarest of the world's 50 or so gull species, it is common in its range and is widely regarded in Cape Town as a nuisance, fouling buildings and bathing in urban ponds.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Range and is widely regarded in Cape Town as a nuisance, fouling buildings and bathing in urban ponds.
Diet
Feed on scraps as well as seeking suitable small prey, often by wading in shallow water.
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance