Hartlaub's Gull

Fascinating facts about the Hartlaub's Gull

• At just 37–39 cm long with a 89–92 cm wingspan, this gull weighs only 235–340 g.
• Genetic studies moved it out of the giant Larus group, revealing its closest cousin is the African grey-headed gull, not the Australasian silver gull it once resembled. This reshuffle reminds us that appearances can hide deep evolutionary splits.
• Roughly half of the estimated 30,000 individuals live in the Greater Cape Town area, where they have started nesting on building ledges.
• During breeding season adults trek a 24 km round trip from Robben Island to the mainland to bring food back to their chicks.
• When they gather in winter, these gulls form noisy roosts that fill the evening air with a raucous "kaaarrh" that many city dwellers find irritating.

At a glance

About the Hartlaub's Gull

Hartlaub's gull, a diminutive member of the Chroicocephalus genus, measures 37–39 cm in length with a wingspan of 89–92 cm and weighs 235–340 g. Its plumage is a crisp white contrasted by a slate-grey back and upperwings, black wingtips edged with striking white "mirrors," and a dark red bill and legs that set it apart from the slightly larger grey-headed gull. In breeding plumage a faint lavender-grey hood crowns the head, while juveniles display a brown wing band and lack the adult’s black terminal tail stripe. The gull reaches maturity at two years, and its dark eyes and deeper red legs give it a subtly more vivid appearance than its relatives. Endemic to the Atlantic coast of South Africa and Namibia, Hartlaub's gull is a non-migratory resident that favors coastal and estuarine habitats but rarely ventures far from land. About half of the estimated 30 000 individuals nest in the Greater Cape Town area, where they have grown remarkably tame, feeding on scraps, wading for small prey, and even bathing in urban ponds. They breed in large colonies, most famously on Robben Island, making daily 24 km foraging trips to the mainland, though some now nest on coastal buildings. Highly gregarious in winter, they form noisy roosts and their raucous, crow-like "kaaarrh" call often draws complaints from city dwellers, a reminder that their adaptability can become a nuisance in human-dominated landscapes.

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