Laughing gull

About Laughing gull: 

• The bird is known for its unique laughter-like calls which resemble human laughter.
• Habitat: These are a coastal species and are only occasionally seen very far inland.
• Distribution: These bird are mainly found on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
• Diet: They are opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. They eat mainly fish, shellfish, crabs, mollusks, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.
• Features

o These are medium-sized gulls with fairly long wings and long legs that impart a graceful look when they are flying or walking. They have stout, fairly long bills.

o They take 2-3 years to gain adult plumage.

• Conservation Status

o IUCN: Least Concern

What is an estuary?

• An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean.
• When freshwater and seawater combine, the water becomes brackish, or slightly salty.
• Types of Estuaries

o Coastal plain estuaries: These are created when sea levels rise and fill in an existing river valley.

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o Tectonic estuaries: It is formed due to the shifting together and rifting apart of the Earth’s crust.

o Bar-built estuaries: When a lagoon or bay is protected from the ocean by a sandbar or barrier island, it is called a bar-built estuary.

o Fjord estuaries:These are a type of estuary created by glaciers. Fjord estuaries occur when glaciers carve out a deep, steep valley.

Q1:What is a lagoon?

It is a shallow body of water protected from a larger body of water (usually the ocean) by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs.

Source:In a first in the country, laughing gull from North America spotted at Chittari estuary in Kasaragod