Whilst birding the Jizan Corniche in December 2023 we came across three read ringed gulls, all of which were ringed in Finland. Another gull was present with a metal ring but its read ring had presumably fallen off and its ring could not be read. There were probably 40 Baltic Gulls present, so if four were ringed in Finland this makes up 10% of the birds present. Previous ringing recoveries have also mainly come from Finland (14 birds – 82%) as well as Sweden (two birds – 12%) and Russia (one bird - 6%). The Baltic Gull in Saudi Arabia is an uncommon passage migrant and uncommon wintering species, scarce in summer, along the entire Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia with higher numbers in the southern Red Sea part of the Kingdom. Many hundreds of birds winter in the Saudi Arabian sector of the Red Sea. In northern Yemen a maximum count of 200 birds in January indicates that significant numbers winter there also. As a result, maps of the wintering range of Baltic Gull should include the Red Sea coastline from the KAUST area of the central Red Sea south to northern Yemen. Probably over 100 also summer in Saudi Arabia, most being immature birds. Records from central Saudi Arabia are very rare, with only two records, as they are from the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast, where there have been only three confirmed records.
Lesser Black-backed (Baltic) Gull
Ring Number: HT245167
Darvic Ring: White with black lettering CAWW
Ringing date: 3-Jul-2003
Ringing Place: Punkaharja, Savonlinna, Finland
Age: Nestling
Ringer: Risto Juvaste
Finding date: 26-Nov-2023
Finding Place: Jizan Corniche, Jizan region, Saudi Arabia (Co-ords: 16.93N, 42.55E)
Finding Condition: Bird found alive
Duration: 7451 days
Distance: 5087 km
Direction: 161 deg (SSE)
Finder: Jem Babbington & Phil Roberts
Lesser Black-backed (Baltic) Gull
Ring Number: HT277229
Darvic Ring: Yellow with black lettering CSX8
Ringing date: 6-Jul-2009
Ringing Place: Kortka, Finland
Age: Nestling
Ringer: Tatu Hokkanen
Finding date: 26-Nov-2023
Finding Place: Jizan Corniche, Jizan region, Saudi Arabia (Co-ords: 16.95N, 42.54E)
Finding Condition: Bird found alive
Duration: 5256 days
Distance: 4971 km
Direction: 158 deg (SSE)
Finder: Jem Babbington & Phil Roberts
Lesser Black-backed (Baltic) Gull
Ring Number: CT178124
Darvic Ring: White with black lettering CK7T
Ringing date: 5-Jul-2014
Ringing Place: SAVONLINNA, ETELÄ-SAVO, MIKKELI (SF84), FINLAND
Age: Nestling
Ringer: Risto Juvaste
Finding date: 26-Nov-2023
Finding Place: Jizan Corniche, Jizan region, Saudi Arabia (Co-ords: 16.95N, 42.54E)
Finding Condition: Bird found alive
Duration: 3431 days
Distance: 5080 km
Direction: 158 deg (SSE)
Finder: Jem Babbington & Phil Roberts
 |
| CAWW |
 |
| CAWW |
 |
| CK7T |
 |
| CK7T |
 |
| CSX8 |
 |
| CSX8 |
