NEWS – 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

LAUGHING GULL (LEUCOPHAEUS ATRICILLA)

• Medium-sized gull species found in North and South America
• Appearance – black hood + white crescent around the eye + dark bill +mostly white body + gray wings with black tips
• During the breeding season, their hood becomes more pronounced
• Known for distinctive vocalizations, which sound like a series of high-pitched laughing or cackling sounds + especially during the breeding season
• Versatile in their habitat preferences + coastal areas, including beaches, salt marshes, estuaries, and coastal lagoons + inhabit inland areas, such as lakes and ponds
• Opportunistic feeders, and their diet includes a variety of items such as fish, insects, crustaceans, and even scavenged food
• Some populations of Laughing Gulls are migratory, moving between breeding and non-breeding areas. The northern populations often migrate to warmer southern regions during the winter
• Least concern in terms of conservation status. Their populations are generally stable, and they adapt well to human-altered environments

CHITTARI ESTUARY

• Chittari River is a small river that flows through the village of Chithari near Kanhangad in Kasaragod district of Kerala
• River is 25 km long and originates from Iriya Punur
• The mangrove forests around the village of Chithari are unique. Leptarma biju, a crab not found anywhere else in the world, was discovered in these forests