Why in the News?
The rare migratory Pallas’s Gull was recently sighted at Udhwa Bird Sanctuary in Jharkhand, marking its return after nearly a decade.
About Pallas’s Gull
• Also known as the Great Black headed Gull
• One of the largest gull species in the world
• World’s largest black headed gull and third largest gull overall
• Family: Laridae
• Scientific name: Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Least Concern
Distribution and Migration
• Breeds in colonies across marshes and islands of southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia
• Migratory species
• Winters in the Mediterranean region, Arabian Peninsula, and Indian subcontinent.
Prelims Pointers
- Pallas’s Gull is a migratory wetland dependent bird
- Associated with Central Asian Flyway
- Udhwa is Jharkhand’s only bird sanctuary and a Ramsar Site
- Species belongs to the Laridae family
| Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity? (2015)
(a) Bhitarkanika National Park (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park (c) Keoladeo Ghana National Park (d) Sultanpur National Park |
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