Archive · 2 Jun 2025
Rare Caspian Gull Spotted in Kerala: Five Years of Confirmation
Imagine a rare bird, the Caspian Gull, normally found far away, was seen at Kappad beach!
An expert, Mr. Paleri, spotted it in 2020.
It took him years to be sure because the bird looks like another common gull.
He showed photos to bird experts worldwide.
After a lot of checking, they confirmed it was a Caspian Gull.
These gulls usually fly from the Black Sea to places like China for winter.
This one got lost and ended up in Kerala.
It's like finding a very special traveler far from home!
An ornithologist identified a Caspian Gull in Kerala, a rare sighting.
The bird was spotted on Kappad beach in Kozhikode in February 2020.
It took five years to confirm the species identification.
Experts from an international community confirmed the bird's species.
The Caspian Gull is usually found in Central Asia and winters in Asia and Africa.
- Who
- Ornithologist Abdulla Paleri
- What
- Confirmation of a Caspian Gull sighting, a rare migratory bird in Kerala.
- When
- February 2020 (sighting); confirmed after five years (June 2025).
- Where
- Kappad beach, Kozhikode, Kerala.
- Why
- To confirm the rare sighting and identification of a Caspian Gull.
- Bird Name
- Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)
- Location of Sighting
- Kappad beach, Kozhikode, Kerala
- Date of Sighting
- February 2020
- Confirmation Time
- Five years
- Ornithologist
- Abdulla Paleri
- Usual Migration Route
- Black Sea to Caspian Sea, then to Kazakhstan, China, and winter in Asia/Africa