GR160
Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)
Other Species of Interest Individuals or flocks of European Storm-petrels are regularly sighted during the breeding season in coastal and pelagic waters around the islands of the Northern Dodecanese, however breeding of the
species in the area has yet to be confirmed. Yellow-legged Gulls (750-1,100 pairs) breed on almost all islets in the region. The majority of birds leave the area during the post-breeding period.
Uses, Threats, Management
In general, this is an area receiving low human pressure. Low intensity tourism has been developing in the area, however the number of vessels (speed and sailing boats) accessing the islets for leisure is increasing. Disturbance is the main threat at breeding colonies caused by the presence of visitors, although often the steep and rugged relief of the islets impedes disembarkation on certain parts of the coastline. Another important threat for breeding species is predation of eggs and chicks by predators such as rats, Yellow-legged Gulls and Hooded Crows. An uncontrolled rubbish dump still operates today on 138
the southwest coast of Leros, discarding raw waste on the underlying slope, eventually reaching the sea. The operation of a new waste treatment plant and landfill in Leipsoi has replaced the old rubbish dump, which is expected in the long-term to lead to the decline of the local Yellow-legged Gull population. Coastal development has been increasing during the last two decades, mainly related to tourist infrastructures and the construction of summer housing, although it is still considered to be of low intensity. Military exercises are practised on an islet at the north of Leros, at close proximity to one of the