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Birds and Butterflies of Rhodes
RODOPTERA
Ichthyaetus audouinii
Audouin's gull. Greek: αιγαιόγλαρoς. Kritika, Rhodes town, June 2009.
Non-breeding summer visitor, uncommon. One of world’s rarest gull species, global distribution restricted to Mediterranean region and Atlantic coast of Iberian Peninsula and Saharan Africa. Length 45-55 cm, wingspan 115-130 cm. Sexes similar. Mainly north-western and western coastal areas. Coastal and pelagic behaviour. Feeds almost exclusively on fresh fish. Highly specialized marine predator, glides slowly and very low over sea surface, often far offshore, to make surprise strikes on schools of small fish.
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