Sooty Gull
Ichthyaetus hemprichii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusIchthyaetus (Large Black-headed Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesIchthyaetus hemprichii (Sooty Gull)
About the Sooty Gull
The sooty gull (Ichthyaetus hemprichii) is a species of gull in the family Laridae, also known as the Aden gull or Hemprich's gull. It is found in Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The sooty gull is named in honour of the German naturalist Wilhelm Hemprich who died in 1825 while on a scientific expedition to Egypt and the Middle East with his friend Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.
The sooty gull is native to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and its range extends as far east as Pakistan. It is also native to the east coast of Africa as far south as Tanzania and Mozambique. It occurs as a vagrant in India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Bahrain. It is a coastal bird, seldom going further out to sea than about 10 km (6 mi) beyond coastal reefs although it has occasionally been seen 140 km (87 mi) from land. It frequents ports and harbours... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sooty Gull in Addo Elephant National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Damara Tern
Sternula balaenarum
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sooty Gull in Addo Elephant National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Gull sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sooty Gull in Addo Elephant National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Sooty Gull in Addo Elephant National Park in our monthly data.