Ichthyaetus hemprichii (Bruch, 1855)

Nomenclature

The sooty gull, with the scientific name Ichthyaetus hemprichii, is a gull species in the family Laridae. It is also commonly called the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull.

Taxonomic History

Like many other gull species, it was traditionally classified under the genus Larus.

Etymology

This species is named to honor German naturalist Wilhelm Hemprich, who died in 1825 during a scientific expedition to Egypt and the Middle East alongside his friend Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.

Native Range

The sooty gull is native to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, with its native range extending east as far as Pakistan, and south along the east coast of Africa to Tanzania and Mozambique.

Vagrant Records

It has been recorded as a vagrant in Bahrain, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Marine Habitat Preference

It is a strictly coastal bird that rarely travels more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) out to sea past coastal reefs, though it has occasionally been observed 140 kilometers (87 miles) from land.

Coastal Habitat Use

It commonly frequents ports, harbours, coastlines, inshore islands, and the intertidal zone. It rarely moves inland or visits freshwater areas.

Movement Patterns

The sooty gull is either nomadic or partially migratory; many populations travel south after breeding, but populations living in the Red Sea appear to be relatively sedentary.

Occurrence Records

It has been recorded in Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.