Prelims : Current events of national and international importance | Environment

Why in News?

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 Convention designation 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.

Reference

Hindustan Times | Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary