Audouin's Gull. Another year of studying our winged treasure. By Francisco José Pérez Ruiz (Audouin's Gull Monitoring Technical Team)

One more year, and a decade now, the Audouin's Gull or Red-billed Gull ( Ichthyaetus adouinii ) delights us by nesting in our city, something not inconsiderable for a species that shows such a sharp decline in our country, and that as every season will be received by the technical monitoring and ringing team that in Melilla has already marked nearly 500 chicks of this species and followed them along the Mediterranean coast.

Natural heritage species of the city

Few animals are as iconic and unknown as this gull, and the bad reputation of its cousin, the Yellow-legged Gull ( Larus michahellis ), negatively affects the other five species of local gulls, among which our protected species is included. But nothing could be further from the truth, because unlike the ubiquitous Yellow-legged Gull, the Red-billed Gull avoids humans, not being seen in the most urban environments of the city; nor does it feed on garbage or waste, its diet being exclusively based on fish, a large quantity obtained by following the boats with lights that go out fishing along our coast every night. Nor should you expect to find it nesting on terraces and rooftops, complicating the lives of our neighbors, as it nests only in natural areas, with direct access to the sea and without human presence... In short, it is a species that brings us many benefits and few disadvantages and that, like us, also suffers from the poor management and overpopulation of the Yellow-legged Gull.

Isolation, your ally in the city

Why does it choose our city to nest? Well, it's simple, we're talking about an animal whose population is almost exclusively Spanish, with our country having 90% of its specimens, and this is largely thanks to the protection given to it in the nearby Chafarinas Islands, which housed the bulk of its population, becoming the "mother" colony of many other Spanish colonies. However, the progressive abandonment of the Spanish fishing fleet in the area and a series of other dangers have led the species to seek safer environments than the islands, and that's where Melilla comes in, which has something that greatly benefits such a delicate animal, having environments restricted to free passage.

Not many may sympathize with travel restrictions, protected environments, or security zones, but they are undoubtedly responsible for maintaining a relatively stable breeding population of this species. Military zones such as barracks or security zones such as port facilities have facilitated the undisturbed nesting of these birds, and having the support of the Ministry of the Environment and its recent "Audouin's Gull Conservation Plan," as well as the collaboration of the General Command of Melilla and the Port Authority, helps this species continue to thrive in our environment.

Your study: protocol and objectives

Since the arrival of this species, we scientists have set to work to understand its status, its needs, and any information it could provide, and there has been no shortage. Since its arrival in the city, the technical monitoring team I coordinate has given four scientific presentations at various national and international conferences, written nearly a dozen articles, censused several thousand specimens, ringed nearly 500 chicks, fitted dozens of adults with geolocation devices, and so on. All of this with the support of such significant sources as the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife), the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), the Doñana Biological Station (EBD), and various universities, as well as the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the aforementioned collaborations, in addition to local associations such as Guelaya and the SEO/BirdLife group in the city.

Thanks to this, we've made discoveries and refuted them about the species' early years. While it was thought they spent their time on the coasts of Gambia and Senegal, some individuals do not migrate and find everything they need on our shores to remain as residents. We've also received spectacular news, such as a bird born in Melilla, just under five months old, seen by a birdwatcher in a Gambian reserve. Thanks to the ring on its leg, we learned details of its journey, origin, and destination.

These days, we're resuming work in their local colonies, which is giving us information about the environmental status of Melilla and its surroundings, as well as the Alboran Sea that bathes our coasts and provides these gulls with nourishment, sometimes inadequately due to the plastics and pollutants that, thanks to our study of their ingestion, we've found in chick feed, which hinders their reproductive success.

Ultimately, these studies, carried out quietly, behind the scenes on social media and self-promotion, are extremely important to ensure we can continue enjoying this species in our city for many years to come. And for its citizens to unknowingly have such an important natural treasure hovering over our coastal cliffs.

Francisco José Pérez Ruiz Coordinator of the Audouin's Gull Monitoring Technical Team

About @CDOverde

Green Opinion Makers #CDO is a collective blog coordinated by Arturo Larena , director of EFEverde

This column may be freely reproduced, citing its authors and EFEverde.

Other Green Opinion Makers (#CDO) forums

This "green influencer" blog has been a finalist in the 2023 Orange Journalism and Sustainability Awards in the "new formats" category.