 The Indian Subcontinent provides suitable habitats to various species of birds for residing and nesting. Gulls are no exception in this regard. Various species of gulls have been recorded in different parts of India. They belong to the kingdom, Animalia; phylum, Chordata; class, Aves; order, Charadriiformes; and family, Laridae. These gulls are described below.
White-Eyed Gull In India, White-Eyed Gull was first sighted in Karwar by Abhishek Jamalabad, a marine biologist. The new sighting of the bird has been published in the Journal of Indian Birds (volume 12). During the breeding period, the adult bird assumes a black hood. Its upper throat is also black in color. Its neck-sides are bordered below by a narrow white bar. Its breast is mid-grey in color. The bird has medium-dark grey upperparts and inner upperwings. Its underparts are white, except the breast region. Its primaries and secondaries are black and the secondaries have white trailing edge. The underwing is dark and the tail is white. Adults in non-breeding plumage are similar, but the hood is studded with small white spots. A feature of the white-eyed gull which remains the same at all ages is its long slender bill. Brown-Headed Gull  Brown-Headed Gull is a migratory bird, which winters on the coasts and large inland lakes of the Indian Subcontinent. The summer adult has a pale brown head and red bill and legs. The bird has a pale grey body. The bird has black flight feathers and grey underwing. It looses its brown hood in winter, with only dark vertical streaks remaining. If the bird has a black terminal tail band, more dark areas on the wings and a less homogeneous hood in summer, it is then identified as a one year old bird.
Slender-Billed Gull Slender-Billed Gull is somewhat migratory and winters in India. This is a pale grey bird. It has white head, yellow iris and dark red bill and legs. Its breast is also white in color and its neck is long. The head and bill have an elongated tapering appearance. In summer, the breast of the bird assumes a faint pink coloration. If the bird has a black terminal tail band and dark areas on the wings, it is then identified as a first year immature bird. Pallas's Gull Pallas's Gull is a migratory bird, which winters in India. The adult gull has black colored head, red colored bill, grey-colored wings and back (with noticeable white ‘mirrors’ at the wing tips) and yellow colored legs. In all other plumages, a dark mask through the eye indicates the vestiges of the hood. |
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