Laughing gull

31.01.2024

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   Why in the news?

Recently, a laughing gull, a migratory bird from North America, has been sighted for the first time in the country at the Chittari estuary in Kasaragod district.

About Laughing gull:

• The bird is known for its unique laughter-like calls which resemble human laughter.
• Habitat: These are a coastal species and are only occasionally seen very far inland.
• Distribution: These birds are mainly found on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
• Diet: They are opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. They eat mainly fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.

Features

• These are medium-sized gulls with fairly long wings and long legs that impart a graceful look when they are flying or walking. They have stout, fairly long bills.
• They take 2-3 years to gain adult plumage.

Conservation Status

IUCN: Least Concern

What is an estuary?

• An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean.
• When freshwater and seawater combine, the water becomes brackish, or slightly salty.

Types of Estuaries

• Coastal plain estuaries: These are created when sea levels rise and fill in an existing river valley.
• Tectonic estuaries: It is formed due to the shifting together and rifting apart of the Earth's crust.
• Bar-built estuaries: When a lagoon or bay is protected from the ocean by a sandbar or barrier island, it is called a bar-built estuary.
• Fjord estuaries: These are a type of estuary created by glaciers. Fjord estuaries occur when glaciers carve out a deep, steep valley.

                                                                 Source: The Hindu