The Mongolian gull (''Larus mongolicus'') is a large

gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...

in the large white-headed gull (''Larus'') complex which breeds in interior eastern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

Taxonomy

The Mongolian gull was

formally described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differ ...

in 1925 by the Russian ornithologist

Petr Sushkin Petr Petrovich Sushkin (; 27 January 1868 – 17 September 1928) was a Russian and Soviet based ornithologist who specialised on comparative anatomy, and evolution of birds, particularly of the birds of prey. Sushkin was born in Tula, Russia, in ...

based on specimens collected near the

Üüreg Lake Üüreg Lake (, , ''Üüreg nuur'', zh, 乌雷格湖) is a saline lake in an endorheic basin in Sagil, Uvs Province, Mongolia, north-west of the Great Lakes Hollow, near the western edge of the Uvs Nuur basin. The Tsagaan river gorge (''Tsa ...

in northwest Mongolia. He considered it to be a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the then broad view of the

herring gull Herring gull is a common name for several birds in the genus ''Larus'', all formerly treated as a single species. Three species are still combined in some taxonomies: * American herring gull (''Larus smithsonianus'') - North America * European h ...

and coined the

trinomial name In biology, trinomial nomenclature is the system of names for taxa below the rank of species. These names have three parts. The usage is different in zoology and botany. In zoology In zoological nomenclature, a trinomen (), trinominal name, or t ...

''Larus argentatus mongolicus''. When the herring gull was split into multiple more closely defined species, this Mongolian population was subsequently considered to be a subspecies of either the

Vega gull The Vega gull, East Siberian gull, or East Siberian herring gull (''Larus vegae'') is a large gull of the herring gull/ lesser black-backed gull complex which breeds in Northeast Asia. Its classification is still controversial and uncertain. It ...

(''Larus vegae'') from further north in northeastern Siberia, or of the

Caspian gull The Caspian gull (''Larus cachinnans'') is a large gull and a member of the herring and lesser black-backed gull complex. The scientific name is from Latin. ''Larus'' appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and ''cachinnans'' ...

(''Larus cachinnans'') from further west. In 2024 it was raised to separate species rank based on its distinct morphology and vocal repertoire.

Description

Mongolian gull is closely similar to its relatives Caspian gull and Vega gull, and also to the

European herring gull The European herring gull (''Larus argentatus'') is a large gull, up to long. It breeds throughout the northern and western coasts of Europe. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, bird migration, migrate furthe ...

(''Larus argentatus''), with identification needing careful examination of the wing pattern and moult, and in young birds, the wing and tail patterns. In weight, at 1.15–1.58 kg for males and 0.85–1.1 kg for females, it is somewhat heavier than Caspian gull but about the same as Vega gull and the nominate subspecies of European herring gull. The mantle and wings are mid grey with black primary tips, distinctly darker grey than European herring gull and slightly darker than Caspian gull, but about the same as Vega gull. There is some variation within the species, with darker grey towards the west of the range in NW Mongolia, and paler in birds from Lake Baikal; these last can be almost as pale as European herring gull of the subspecies ''L. a. argenteus''. The legs are pink in most individuals, but in some, tinged yellow to even bright yellow; the eyes are dull yellowish, sometimes brownish; the bill is stout, as in European herring gull and Vega gull, stouter than in Caspian gull.

Distribution and habitat

The Mongolian gull breeds primarily on large inland lakes, either fresh or saline, from the

Altai Republic The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well ...

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...

in central southern Russia, in northern

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

, and at

Lake Khanka Lake Khanka () or Lake Xingkai (), is a freshwater lake on the border between Primorsky Krai, Russia and Heilongjiang province, Northeast China (at ). Etymology On the Delisle map of 1706, the lake is named ''Himgon'' and from it flows a ri ...

in northeast

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

; there is also a small population breeding on islands in the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

west of South Korea, within the normal wintering area. In winter it migrates southeast to the coasts of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

, eastern and southern China,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, and northern

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Reports from the Indian Ocean are considered unlikely, with sightings claimed from India, Pakistan and the Persian Gulf being unreliable; there are no bird ringing, ringing recoveries from that region, only from the Pacific coasts of Asia.

References

Larus, Mongolian gull Birds of North Asia Birds described in 1925, Mongolian gull Gulls {{improve categories, date=September 2024