The Mew Gull has a circumpolar distribution, but in North America it breeds from southern British Columbia to the sub-arctic habitats of Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. It is abundant along the Pacific coast in winter, where it is surveyed by the Christmas Bird Count, which suggests that the Canadian population has shown a large decrease in abundance since about 1970. The Breeding Bird Survey, despite lack of coverage in much of the species' breeding range, also shows large decreases over the same time period. The Mew Gull's global population remains large; it currently faces few known threats in Canada. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Mew Gulls are attracted to mown-grass airfields and are commonly struck by aircraft in some areas (e.g., Denlinger 2006, Rochard and Horton 1980). Their use of river estuaries for feeding exposes them to a variety of agricultural and industrial pollutants, and some negative effects have been documented (Moskoff and Bevier 2002).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
