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Sooty Gull
(Ichthyaetus [Larus] hemprichii)
: "Aden Gull", "Hemprich's Gull"
Size: 42-45 cm; wing span 1.05-1.15 m
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Sooty Gulls are medium-sized black-headed gulls.
They take 2 years to reach maturity, so there are 3 phases of their
plumage.
In addition, the
adult plumage
changes slightly between non-breeding season and
breeding
season.
Breeding
adults have a black head, neck and frontal "bib", fringed by a white
band across the nape of the neck. They have a small white arch above
each eye. The breast and mantle are grey, while the upperwings are
dark-grey, with a white trailing edge. The rest of the front, from
belly to undertail coverts, is white. Also the tail is white.
In eclipse the head, neck and bib are more brownish, leading to a
lower overall colour contrast, in particular with the white neck
band. The irises are dark.
Adults
have a greenish bill, with a black tip with a red peak.
The legs and fully webbed feet are pale yellowish-grey.
Immature
second-year Sooty Gulls, are similar to
non-breeding adults,
but with less colour contrast between
head and (as yet not fully developed) neck band. The bill is
greenish with a black tip.
First-year
Sooty Gulls have bold pale fringes on their upperwing
coverts, giving them a scalloped appearance, and a brownish-grey
head, neck and breast. They also have a dark terminal band on the
tail.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Sooty
Gull at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Sooty Gull is available
HERE
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Sooty Gulls are a partly migratory or vagrant species.
Their breeding range extends from the eastern African
coastline, around the Red Sea, the Arabian peninsula,
the Persian Gulf and along the southern Asian coastline
eastwards as far as Pakistan.
Outside the breeding season most populations move preferably
southwards, except the Red Sea population, which appears to
be sedentary.
In Arabia Sooty Gulls are widespread and common along the entire
coastline. Their core breeding area is around the Red Sea, i.e.
on the western side of the Arabian peninsula.
Sooty Gulls are a strictly coastal species. They are never found
far out at sea and nowhere inland either. They hunt in coastal
waters. Apart from natural coastal habitats it also enters ports
and harbours, in proximity to humans.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Sooty Gulls were first spotted by us on the north-eastern coastline
of Oman, in the area from Quriyyat to Ras Al-Hadd, in May 2010.
In the same month they were also seen along the coastline to the West
of Muscat (Al-Batinah region).
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Lateral view of an adult Sooty Gull; note the sooty black head
which is characteristic of this species' plumage, white neck and
the red tip on the bill typical of adults
[Quriyyat, May 2010]
Near-dorsal view of an adult Sooty Gull in breeding
plumage
[Quriyyat, May 2010]
Adult Sooty Gull in flight
[Sur, May 2010]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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This near-adult (see tip of bill) Sooty Gull favoured its right
leg, limping on the left
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]
Frontal view of a second-winter Sooty Gull; note the
black bill and the absence of any scalloping on the wing coverts
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]
Lateral view of a second-year Sooty Gull
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]
Immature Sooty Gull landing
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]
Direct comparison between four second-year Caspian Gulls and two
second-year Sooty Gulls, front right
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]
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Food, Diet |
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Like all gulls, Sooty Gulls are opportunistic. They will feed on
anything from carrion and discarded entrails to fish, chicks of
other bird species and eggs.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Call/s
