Sooty Gull

Ichthyaetus hemprichii

Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · Charadriiformes · Rare

The Sooty Gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii) is a rare skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 19 countries. The sooty gull is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull.

Least ConcernRare

About the Sooty Gull

The sooty gull is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull. It is found in Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The sooty gull is named in honour of the German naturalist Wilhelm Hemprich who died in 1825 while on a scientific expedition to Egypt and the Middle East with his friend Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in India, Israel.

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

What does a Sooty Gull look like?
The sooty gull is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull.
Where can you see a Sooty Gull?
The Sooty Gull occurs in 19 countries, including Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Egypt.
What birds look similar to a Sooty Gull?
The Sooty Gull is most easily confused with the White-eyed Gull, the Relict Gull and the Pallas's Gull.
Is the Sooty Gull endangered?
The Sooty Gull is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Sooty Gull for real

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