Tracking Mediterranean Gulls and Yellow-legged Gulls

EE04385 is a first-year Mediterranean Gull that was tagged in Malta on 6 March 2026 following rehabilitation. It remained around Malta during March and April before leaving the islands in May. On 12 May, it reached south-eastern Sicily near Pozzallo and subsequently undertook a long eastward crossing of the Ionian Sea. By 14 May, it had reached the coast between Corfu and southern Albania. It has since remained predominantly around the Sarandë area in Albania and is still actively transmitting up to date.

EE04378 is a first-year Mediterranean Gull that was tagged in Malta on 30 January 2023. It remained around the Maltese Islands during February and March, making several exploratory trips towards Sicily before returning to Malta. In late April, it left Malta and crossed the central Mediterranean to western Greece. It then travelled eastwards through Greece and across the Aegean Sea, reaching the western coast of Turkey in early June. From there, it continued north through the Dardanelles and into Eastern Thrace, eventually reaching the area west of Istanbul. It remained in this region during August and September, with the final transmission received on 1 October 2023.

GG3572 is an adult Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 2 May 2024. Since then, it has remained predominantly around the Maltese Islands, regularly using St Paul’s Islands and different parts of the Maltese coastline. In December 2025, it travelled to western Sicily and explored the area around Palermo before returning to Malta on 9 January 2026. It has since remained around Malta and is still transmitting up to date.

GG3552 is an adult Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 18 April 2023. It remained around Malta throughout the spring and early summer before beginning a rapid northward journey in early July. It travelled through Sicily and continued north along the Italian peninsula, reaching northern Italy around 10 July. It subsequently remained at a location near Parma. The final transmissions came repeatedly from the same location, suggesting that the tag may have become detached or that the bird may have died. The last transmission was received on 18 August 2024.

GG3573 is an adult Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 2 May 2024. It remained around the Maltese Islands during May and June before leaving Malta at the beginning of July. It travelled north through eastern Sicily and southern Italy before crossing the Adriatic to Albania. From there, it continued through western Greece and across the Aegean Sea into Turkey. By early August, it had reached Eastern Thrace, west of Istanbul. Its final transmissions came repeatedly from the same location, suggesting that the tag may have become detached or that the bird may have died. The last transmission was received on 16 August 2024.

GG3551 is an adult Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 18 April 2023. Throughout the tracking period, it remained within the Maltese Islands, with its movements concentrated around St Paul’s Islands and Malta’s north-eastern coast. Its final locations were recorded in the Salina area, and the last transmission was received on 1 August 2024.

GG3556 is an adult Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 27 April 2023. Over the following three years, it regularly moved between the Maltese Islands and south-eastern Sicily, making numerous crossings to the area around Pozzallo and the surrounding Sicilian coast. It also explored different parts of Malta, Gozo and the surrounding waters but remained within the central Mediterranean throughout the tracking period. Its last recorded locations were in Malta, with the final transmission received on 5 June 2026.

GG3574 is a Yellow-legged Gull that was tagged and ringed while breeding on St Paul’s Islands on 2 May 2024. It initially remained around the Maltese Islands. In November 2024, it undertook a longer journey southward, travelling via Lampedusa and continuing into Tunisian coastal waters. It subsequently moved eastwards across the central Mediterranean and returned to Malta through south-eastern Sicily in early December. It later made further journeys between Malta and southern Sicily. Its final locations were recorded in Malta, with the last transmission received on 1 May 2026.