Prelims : Current events of national and international importance | Environment
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A rare Arctic seabird, the Sabine’s Gull, was spotted at Gujarat’s Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary recently.
Nalsarovar is a wetland situated in Gujarat.
It is among India’s largest and ecologically significant wetland sanctuaries.
In 1969, the Gujarat government declared as a bird sanctuary to primarily protect its bird population.
The Ramsar Conventiondesignation of Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary in 2012 recognized its ecological importance as a wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife.
It is home to numerous migratory and resident bird species such as flamingos, pelicans, ducks, and herons.
Sabine’s Gull
Appearance - It is a small and strikingly beautiful gull, notable for its sharp black hood, clean grey upperparts, white nape, and, most uniquely, its tri-colored wings marked in black, white, and grey.
It is one of only two gull species with a black bill tipped with yellow and a forked, notched tail.
Breeding - The species primarily breeds in the high-latitude Arctic regions of North America, Greenland, and Siberia, nesting near wet tundra areas.
Migration - For winter, it migrates to tropical upwelling zones highly productive marine areas off the coasts of South America and western Africa.
It does not typically pass through India during migration, making this sighting both rare and significant.
Experts believe that the bird may have strayed from its usual migratory route.
Such occurrences are of great interest and value to ornithologists and avian researchers.
