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 Tsavo East National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Tsavo East National Park
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
White-cheeked Tern
Sterna repressa
Lesser Noddy
Anous tenuirostris
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
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 Tsavo East National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Gull sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sooty Gull in Tsavo East National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Sooty Gull in Tsavo East National Park in our monthly data.