Sooty Gull

Ichthyaetus hemprichii (Bruch, 1855)

452 gWeight

The sooty gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii) is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Oman, Kenya, Saudi Arabia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Oman, Kenya, Saudi Arabia

Sooty Gull has been recorded at 42 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

East KhawrOman578 records
Sabaki River EstuaryKenya333 records
Khawr RawriOman127 records

More places

South CornicheSaudi Arabia114 records
Al-Qurm ParkOman87 records
KAUST – Safaa Golf ClubSaudi Arabia79 records
Wadi SirhanYemen40 records
Bwawani Wetland and Bay sideTanzania38 records
QalansiyahYemen37 records
Mida CreekKenya20 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Oman Kenya Saudi Arabia Yemen Djibouti Tanzania Egypt United Arab Emirates

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The sooty gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sooty Gull?

The Sooty Gull weighs around 452 g.

Where does the Sooty Gull live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Palearctic: islands of Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Socotra, northwestern Indian Ocean to northeastern Kenya, Persian Gulf and northwestern Arabian Sea to southern Pakistan. It is most often recorded in Oman, Kenya and Saudi Arabia.

When is the best time to see the Sooty Gull?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Sooty Gull endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sooty Gull as Least Concern.

What does the Sooty Gull eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Sooty Gull in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight: 452 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 341 mm
Tail: 123 mm
Bill: 56 mm
Tarsus: 51 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa, Palearctic: islands of Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Socotra, northwestern Indian Ocean to northeastern Kenya, Persian Gulf and northwestern Arabian Sea to southern Pakistan

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2