This species of gull - which had its global threat status revised in 2020, going from Least Concern to Vulnerable - this year registers almost three times more nests than at the beginning of the project, in 2019, according to the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA).

The fact that Portugal has the largest colony in the world, when the Audouin gull is disappearing from other parts of the world, shows the importance of nature conservation and brings increased responsibility, argues the coordinator of the project and the Department of Marine Conservation from SPEA, Joana Andrade.

This endangered gull, which has grey legs and a red beak, feeds mainly on fish, taking advantage of fishing waste, and only occasionally consumes waste in dumpsters or other types of human waste, highlights SPEA.

The Audouin's Gull only breeds in a small number of colonies and the breeding population of the Ria Formosa, recorded in the annual count carried out within the scope of the project, has increased every year.

Since 2022, this species has expanded to the neighbouring Ilha da Culatra, where its population has also increased.

To safeguard the species, SPEA argues that it is important to update the international plan and create a national plan to protect the Audouin gull, on land and at sea.

For this reason, the LIFE Ilhas Barreira project proposes the expansion of the Ria Formosa Special Protection Zone towards the sea, ensuring the protection of feeding areas for this and other seabirds.