Recently, a 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.
About Laughing gull:
- The bird is known for its unique laughter-like calls which resemble human laughter.
- Habitat:Â These are a coastal species and are only occasionally seen very far inland.
- Distribution: These birds are mainly found on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
- Diet:Â They are opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. They eat mainly fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.
- Features
- These are medium-sized gulls with fairly long wings and long legs that impart a graceful look when they are flying or walking. They have stout, fairly long bills.
- They take 2-3 years to gain adult plumage.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN:Â Least Concern
What is an estuary?
- An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean.
- When freshwater and seawater combine, the water becomes brackish, or slightly salty.
- Types of Estuaries
- Coastal plain estuaries:Â These are created when sea levels rise and fill in an existing river valley.
- Tectonic estuaries: It is formed due to the shifting together and rifting apart of the Earth’s crust.
- Bar-built estuaries: When a lagoon or bay is protected from the ocean by a sandbar or barrier island, it is called a bar-built estuary.
- Fjord estuaries: These are a type of estuary created by glaciers. Fjord estuaries occur when glaciers carve out a deep, steep valley.