Whilst birding Jizan Cornice in July I found a few Sooty Gulls sitting on the seafront. As it was a public holiday there were few people about in the early morning allow very close approach to the gulls. The species is a partial migrant or nomad with most populations undergoing southern post-breeding dispersal movements in September-November. They inhabit coasts and inshore islands and is hardly ever seen inland or at freshwater. 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. Apart from the Sooty Gulls there were not that many birds about although we did find a couple of Pink-back Pelicans fishing.
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| Sooty Gull |
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| Sooty Gull |
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| Sooty Gull |
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| Sooty Gull |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |