Journal of
Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2026 | 18(1): 28255–28258
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10187.18.1.28255-28258
#10187 | Received 10 October 2025 | Final received 23 November 2025 |
Finally accepted 02 December 2025
Sighting of
Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii from the salt pans of Nagapattinam
Coast, Tamil Nadu, India
S. Babu 1, Anand Shibu 2 & M. Kishore 3
1–3 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology &
Natural History (South India Centre of Wildlife Institute of India), Anaikatty,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641108, India.
1 sanbabs@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 anandshibu12@gmail.com,
3 kishoreak1999@gmail.com
Editor: H. Byju,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Date of publication: 26 January 2026 (online &
print)
Citation: Babu, S., A. Shibu & M. Kishore (2026).
Sighting of Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii from the salt pans of
Nagapattinam Coast, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 18(1): 28255–28258. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10187.18.1.28255-28258
Copyright: © Babu et al. 2026. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Tamil Nadu State Land Use Research Board (TNSLURB),
State Planning Commission.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We thank the Tamil Nadu State Land Use Research Board for the financial
support. The authors thank the director, dean, and registrar of WII-SACON for
the administrative support.
As part of an
ongoing project on coastal birds in Tamil Nadu, we visited the coastal areas of
Nagapattinam District on 5 September 2025. During the survey, we explored all
potential natural (mudflats, mangroves, and sandy beaches) and human-made
habitats (aquaculture, saltpans, and jetties) for shorebirds, gulls, and terns.
At approximately 1345 h, we surveyed the Akkaraipettai (10.744o N
& 79.828 o E) salt pan near Kaduvaiyar River. We located a large
flock of gulls and terns within a deceptively abandoned saltpan. On closer
approach, we observed species of waders, namely Common Redshank Tringa
totanus, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Black-winged Stilts Himantopus
himantopus, and a few unidentified calidrids, gulls (Lesser Black-backed
Gulls Larus fuscus in adult and immature plumage stages), and terns
(Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica and Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus
bergii).
We began
systematically counting the individuals using a pair of binoculars (Nikon
Monarch M5 8x42). During the process, we spotted a lone, relatively small, and
distinctive dark gull (compared to the Lesser Black-backed Gulls) with a
bi-coloured bill. We took a series of photographs using a Nikon P950 digital
camera to identify the bird; upon close examination, it was confirmed as a
Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii (Image 1). Key identifying
morphological characters—a yellowish bill with a red tip, blackish-brown hood,
white collar on the neck sides, dull yellowish legs, and a greyish upper
mantle—are all consistent with the description for Sooty Gull (Burger et al.
2020). This maritime species is known to occur in the Red Sea, the Gulf of
Aden, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, Kenya, and occasionally
reported along the coastal areas of peninsular India (Burger et al. 2020). It
is known to breed in parts of the Red Sea and Kenya (Kiunga Island).
Excluding our
observation, a total of 23 sightings of Sooty Gull have been reported from the
Indian coast (Table 1). The species was more often reported from the west coast
(20 out of 23 records) (Figure 1) than from the eastern coast. On the western
coast, all states, particularly Kerala and Maharashtra, have well-documented
their occurrence. Along the eastern coast, it was recorded three times: once
each off West Bengal, Chennai, and Kanyakumari. It was most often documented
alone amid mixed flocks of other gulls (Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Black-headed
Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Brown-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus
brunnicephalus, Slender-billed Gulls Chroicocephalus genei, and
Pallas’s Gulls Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) and terns (Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus
bergii and Lesser Crested Terns Thalasseus bengalensis). Most
sightings occurred between September and February, except for those in Gujarat,
which were in April and May. Based on this compilation of observations, the
species appears to be rare and irregular along the east coast.
Table 1. Compilation of previously published records of the Sooty Gull
in India, along with additional eBird records (NA—Not applicable).
|
Location |
Coordinate (N, E) |
Date and time of observation |
Number of individuals & major habitat |
Associated birds |
source |
|
Sundarbans delta, West Bengal |
21.70, 88.85 |
24th January 2005 |
NA |
NA |
Sharma & Zöckler (2007) |
|
Government Museum, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
13.033, 80.283 |
19th Century |
Single |
NA |
Kesavabharati (2014) |
|
Puthalam Estuary, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu |
8.133, 78.300 |
28th November 2016 |
Single bird on saltpans |
NA |
Sivakumar & Amirtha Balan (2017) |
|
Kothakulam Beach, Thrissur, Kerala |
10.379, 76.099 |
26th February 2024 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Brown-headed Gull |
Nidheesh (2024) |
|
Thiruvathra Beach, Thrissur, Kerala |
10.586, 76.000 |
9th Number 2022 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
NA |
Dijumon (2022) |
|
Edakkazhiyur Beach, Thrissur, Kerala |
10.608, 75.990 |
12th November 2022 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
Sayeer et al., (2022) |
|
Azhikkal Beach, Kannur, Kerala |
11.942, 75.296 |
16th December 2023 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Lesser
Black-backed Gull |
Nayakkan (2023) |
|
Matool Beach, Kannur, Kerala |
11.958, 75.286 |
17th December 2023 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Lesser
Black-backed Gull |
Vinod et al., (2023) |
|
Hoode - Kodi Bengare Road - Delta Beach, Udupi, Karnataka |
13.433, 74.694 |
15th October 2014 |
Single |
NA |
Doraiswamy (2015) |
|
Tonka Beach, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka |
14.282, 74.425 |
6th February 2025 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
Sahana (2025) |
|
Handigon Beach, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka |
14.390, 74.400 |
4th February 2025 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Pallas's Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull,
Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Lesser Crested Tern |
Shwetha (2025) |
|
Chapora Estuary, North Goa, Goa |
15.600, 73.733 |
21st April 2005 |
Single bird at Estuary |
NA |
Lainer & Alvares (2013) |
|
Morjim Beach, North Goa, Goa |
15.619, 73.731 |
5th November 2013 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
NA |
Mark (2013) |
|
Chapora river, North Goa, Goa |
15.649, 73.835 |
8th July 2020 |
A single bird flying at the Chapora River |
NA |
Karapurkar et.al., (2020) |
|
Near Prongs Lighthouse, Colaba Point, |
18.883, 72.800 |
January 1875 |
Single bird at Estuary |
NA |
Hume (1876); Aitken |
|
Coast of Mumbai |
18.836, 18.853 |
22nd March 2009 & 9th November 2011 |
Single bird & off the coast |
NA |
Macker (2013) |
|
Bhandup, Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra |
19.138, 72.947 |
25th January 2017 |
A single bird flying near the Marsh and saltpan. |
NA |
Sekar (2017) |
|
Vasai saltpans, Palghar, Maharashtra |
19.37547, 72.839 |
22nd September 2015 |
Single bird at Saltpan |
NA |
Dalvi (2015) |
|
Tukda Estuary, Porbandar, Gujarat |
21.536, 69.711 |
13th April 2025 |
single bird on Estuary sand bar |
NA |
Alvani et al., (2025) |
|
Tukda Estuary, Porbandar, Gujarat |
21.532, 69.709 |
3rd May 2025 |
Single bird on Estuary sand bar |
Slender-billed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Pallas's Gull, Lesser
Black-backed Gull, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia, Common Tern Sterna
hirundo, Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis, Lesser Crested
Tern, Great Crested Tern, Masked Booby Sula dactylatra |
Mansuri et al., (2025) |
|
Mokarsagar Wetland, Porbandar, Gujarat |
21.578, 69.747 |
30th April 2025 |
Single bird on Wetland |
NA |
Gharat & Sonalkar (2025) |
|
Porbandar-Veraval Highway, Odedr Beach, Porbandar, Gujarat |
21.545, 69.694 |
1st May 2021 |
Single bird on sandy beach |
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern |
Karia & Karia (2021) |
For figure & image - - click here
for full PDF
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