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10

Sooty Gull (Ichthyaetus [Larus] hemprichii) Alternate name(s): "Aden Gull", "Hemprich's Gull" Size: 42-45 cm; wing span 1.05-1.15 m

Oman: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Parasitic Jaeger Slender-billed Gull Sooty Gull Caspian Gull Heuglin's Gull Greater Crested Tern Lesser Crested Tern Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Sandwich Tern Common Tern Little Tern Whiskered Tern White-cheeked Tern Bridled Tern Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Sooty Gull at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Sooty Gull is available HERE . 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.

Sightings 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).

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Lateral view of an adult Sooty Gull; note the sooty black head which is characteristic of this species' plumage, the white neck and the red tip on the bill typical of adults
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

Near-dorsal view of a Sooty Gull in breeding plumage
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

Lateral/ventral view of a Sooty Gull in flight
[Sur, May 2010]

Near-dorsal view of a Sooty Gull in breeding plumage in flight
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

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]

Close-up lateral view of a second-year Sooty Gull
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]

Near-dorsal view of a second-winter Sooty Gull
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

Near-dorsal view of an immature Sooty Gull landing on a beach
[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]

Food, Diet

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.

Second-winter Sooty Gull competing for carrion with a Sanderling
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]

Second-winter Sooty Gull and Sanderling coming to a peaceful agreement: "I'll have this one, you take that!"
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]

Truncated lateral view of a Sooty Gull scavenging on a beach
[Ras Al-Hadd, May 2010]

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.

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