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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Arctic seabird Sabine's Gull spotted at Nalsarovar in Gujarat
Ahmedabad: A rare Arctic seabird, the Sabine's Gull, was spotted at Gujarat's Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday — its first recorded sighting in India since 2013, when it was seen in Kerala. Forest department staff and visiting birders at the Ramsar site spotted the bird around 9 am in the open waters of the wetland, according to a statement issued by the government. Deputy conservator of forests, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Division, Sakkira Begum said that the sighting was exceptional, as Sabine's Gull rarely migrates to the Indian subcontinent. 'According to the public bird-watching database eBird, such occurrences are extremely rare. The last recorded sighting in India was in 2013, in Kerala. The bird observed at Nalsarovar was photographed by birding guide Gani Sama,' she added. Sabine's Gull is a small and strikingly beautiful gull, notable for its sharp black hood, clean grey upperparts, white nape, and, most uniquely, its tri-colored wings — marked in black, white, and grey. It is one of only two gull species with a black bill tipped with yellow and a forked, notched tail. The species primarily breeds in the high-latitude Arctic regions of North America, Greenland, and Siberia, nesting near wet tundra areas. Also read: Mumbai birders go wild after Arctic Tern spotted in India after 96 years For winter, it migrates to tropical upwelling zones — highly productive marine areas off the coasts of South America and western Africa, according to the release. It does not typically pass through India during migration, making this sighting both rare and significant. Experts believe that the bird may have strayed from its usual migratory route. Such occurrences are of great interest and value to ornithologists and avian researchers. Nalsarovar, about 80 km from Ahmedabad, is among India's largest and ecologically significant wetland sanctuaries, home to numerous migratory and resident bird species such as flamingos, pelicans, ducks, and herons.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wanted: Evidence of rare oily-kneed beetles
Keen-eyed wildlife watchers are being asked to look out for a rare parasitic insect with an unusual lifecycle. The larvae of the Short-Necked Oil Beetles lurk among flowers waiting for a passing bee to carry them back to its nest, where they feed on all the pollen the bee has collected. The species' name comes from the stubby shape of the adult beetles and their habit of secreting an oily yellow-orange substance from their knee joints when alarmed. The organisation behind the appeal, Buglife, said Scottish populations of the insect have been found in flower-rich habitats in the Hebrides. There were no reports of Short-Necked Oil Beetles in the UK for almost 60 years after 1948 and habitat loss was blamed for bringing the species to the brink of extinction. They were rediscovered in Devon in 2006 and on the Isle of Coll in 2009. Since then in Scotland, populations have been found on Tiree, Islay, Barra and Uist. Short-Necked Oil Beetles are one of 37 species being prioritised for conservation efforts under the Species on the Edge programme led by government agency NatureScot. Map Other species on the list include birds such as the Arctic Tern and Curlew, as well as Daubenton's Bat, the Great Yellow Bumblebee and Scottish Primrose. Workshops have been held in Uist and Barra to help islanders identify the beetles. Sally Morris of Buglife Scotland, said: "We're looking to raise awareness of the species and find out a lot more about its needs, its ecology, abundance and distribution. "We have five species of oil beetle in the UK. "Three are found in Scotland and the Short-Necked Oil Beetle is the rarest." She said the species is vulnerable to extinction. The beetle's lifecycle relies on solitary bees, species which do not live in colonies and have nests tended by a single female. The beetle larvae are only a few millimetres long and have hook like feet to snag on to a passing bee to be carried back to the burrow where the bee has built its nest. Later, after feasting on the contents of the nest, the insects emerge as adults. Only about one in 10,000 larvae make it to adulthood. Ms Morris said: "Oil beetles need flower-rich habitat and sites with areas of bare ground for borrowing, both for the oil beetles themselves and for the solitary bees that they parasitize." More on this story Related internet links
