The Audouin's Gull resembles the Yellow-legged Gull, but is slightly smaller and slimmer and has striking dark eyes and a dark red bill with a black subterminal band and a yellow tip.
This species occurs in a limited number of places in the Mediterranean.
Audouin's Gulls breed on small rocky islands with lots of sun and little vegetation.
This species, unlike many large gulls, rarely scavenges, but is a specialist fish eater, and is therefore strictly coastal.
In the late 1960s, this was one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. 
It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.

Marina di Ostuni, Ostuni area, Brindisi, Puglia, 3 October 2024