In News:

In a significant ornithological development, the Caspian Gull, one of the rarest gull species to be recorded in India, was positively identified five years after being sighted at Kappad Beach, Kozhikode, Kerala. This marks the first confirmed sighting of the species in Kerala, and only the second in southern India.

Discovery and Identification:

• Ornithologist Abdulla Paleri first spotted the bird in February 2020 but took five years to confirm its identity due to its close resemblance to the more commonly seen Steppe Gull.
• The Caspian Gull differs subtly in features such as head and beak shape, posture, wing pattern, and leg morphology.
• Images were shared with international experts and on the eBird platform, where ornithologists Oscar Campbell and Hans Larsson confirmed the identification. The sighting has remained unchallenged since.

About Caspian Gull (Laruscachinnans):

• A monotypic, large, white-headed gull species, considered rare in India.
• Regularly breeds in Central Asia, particularly in steppe and semi-desert habitats with lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
• Nesting usually occurs on flat, low-lying areas near water bodies, often surrounded by reedbeds.
• The species feeds on fish, insects, molluscs, and other invertebrates.

Migration Pattern:

• It migrates from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region to southern and eastern Kazakhstan, western China, and parts of South Asia during winter.
• Traditionally winters in the eastern Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and western India (like Gujarat).
• Increasingly, small populations are dispersing into Europe, including Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
• The Kozhikode gull is believed to be a straggler—a bird that deviates from its usual migratory route.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List:Least Concern, Despite its rarity in India, the species is not globally threatened.