Rare migratory bird sighted on Kappad beach five years ago identified as Caspian Gull

Kozhikode ornithologist confirms rare sighting of Caspian Gull in Kerala after five years of identification efforts.

Kozhikode-based ornithologist Abdulla Paleri has reported the sighting of a rare migratory bird for the first time in Kerala. The Caspian Gull, which often migrates to northwest India during winter, was sighted on Kappad beach in Kozhikode in February 2020. But it took Mr. Paleri five years to confirm the species and realise that it was indeed quite a miracle to find such a bird in Kerala.

“The Caspian Gull, usually found in Central Asia, visits northwestern India, such as Gujarat, in winter. It was sighted in Goa only once and never again in south India until this time,” Mr. Paleri said, adding that the bird must have straggled to Goa and Kerala, for which no specific reason has been identified.

The Caspian Gull is very difficult to identify since it closely resembles the Steppe Gull, which regularly visits the Kerala coast every year. Hence, it was initially confusing for Mr. Paleri to notice minor variations in the nature of the species, such as the shape of the head and beak. He uploaded the images he had taken to the international community of gull experts for identification.

After several months, two of the experts, Joachin Bertrand and Lou Bertalan, commented that it could be the Caspian Gull, considering features such as its wings, posture, and legs.

Mr. Paleri further uploaded the images to eBird, an online platform for birders all over the world. Subsequently, two internationally acclaimed ornithologists Oscar Campbell and Hans Larsson confirmed it as a bird from the Caspian Gull species, and no expert has challenged the findings in the past five years.

“It usually migrates in very small groups. This one may have straggled off,” Mr. Paleri said.

A straggler is a bird that irregularly goes off its normal migratory route or ground. The Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) is one of the rarest gulls to be seen in India. They move from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, then to southern and eastern Kazakhstan and western China. They winter in Asia and Africa, he added.