Pallas’s Gull

Pallas’s Gull Latest News

The first confirmed record of Pallas’s Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) from the Spiti Valley was recently documented at Chandratal Lake, a Ramsar wetland, during a field visit.

About Pallas’s Gull

• Pallas’s Gull, also called the Great Black-headed Gull, is a large bird species belonging to the family Laridae.
• It is the world’s largest black-headed gull and the third-largest species of gull in the world.
• Scientific Name: Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus.

‹ ›

Pallas’s Gull Habitat and Distribution

• It breeds in colonies in marshes and islands from southern Russia to Mongolia. 
• It is migratory, wintering in warmer places. These include the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, and India. 
• It prefers wetlands, salt lakes, lagoons, and slow-flowing rivers. 
• Sometimes, a Pallas’s gull might fly far off its usual path. When this happens, it is called a “vagrant.” 
• These gulls are sometimes seen as vagrants in Western Europe. They also visit parts of the Indian Ocean and the coasts of Africa. 

Pallas’s Gull Features

• It measures 55–72 cm in length with a 142 to 170 cm wingspan. 
• Summer adults are unmistakable, since no other gull of this size has a black hood. 
• The adults have grey wings and backs, with conspicuous white “mirrors” at the wing tips. 
• The legs are yellow, and the bill is orangey-yellow with a red tip.
• In all other plumages, a dark mask through the eye indicates the vestiges of the hood.
• The call is a deep aargh cry.  
• These birds are predatory, taking fish, crustaceans, insects, and even small mammals. 
• Typical Lifespan: 12 to 24 years in the wild. 

Pallas’s Gull Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Least Concern‘ under the IUCN Red List

Key Facts about Chandratal Lake

• Chandra Taal (meaning the Lake of the Moon), or Chandra Tal, is a high-altitude lake situated in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. 
• This crescent-shaped lake is situated at an altitude of about 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) in the Himalayas. 
• It has a circumference of about 2-3 kms and is one of the sources of the Chandra River. 
• It is beautifully surrounded by snow-capped mountains on one side and cirques on the other.
• The lake is famous for its crystal-clear turquoise waters, which often change shades from blue to green depending on sunlight and weather conditions. 
• It is also celebrated in Hinduism for its mention in the epic Mahabharata.  
• It is a designated Ramsar site.

Source: IE