As I am very interested in gulls, we stopped at
the fish market in Jizan where we knew from past experience that photography
was possible. We only managed to get there late one evening and again in the
early afternoon but saw plenty of gulls at both times. Many wait around on the
ground for fish waste to be thrown out and then a huge melee breaks out as all
the gulls go for the waste at the same time. Sooty Gulls present were almost
entirely adult birds. The species is a partial migrant or nomad with most
populations undergoing southern post-breeding dispersal movements in
September-November. The species breeds in the summer and usually nests colonially
but forages alone. The species inhabits coasts and inshore islands and is
hardly ever seen inland or at freshwater. It is found at harbours and ports,
and forages inshore, in intertidal zones up to 10 km beyond reefs. It nests on
coastal or inshore coral islands preferring smaller outer islands of old coral
that are sparsely vegetated, rocky and sandy, preferably protected from the
ocean by live reef. They feed mainly on dead fish and fishermen's offal, as
well as tern eggs and chicks turtle hatchlings prawns and small fish.
