Kolkata: Amid the Poila Baisakh Bird Count, that’s on across the state, Bengal has given India its first record of black-tailed gull, a bird native to the shorelines of East Asia. This is also the 933rd bird species from the state.Birder Shantanu Ghosh clicked the bird in South 24 Parganas Kargil beach on Saturday, according to a post by veteran birder Shubhanbkar Patra. “Birders Patrali Pal and Ratna Ghosh were also there with him,” Patra added. It was identified by British birder Chris Kehoe and Sandeep Biswas, a birder and regional reviewer of e-bird, an online database and citizen science project for bird observations.According to Biswas, it’s a common species in SE Russia, Japan, Korea and East China. “It’s more widespread in winter, occurring South to North East China Sea. Our nearest record is from the Gulf of Thailand,” he added. According to him, the bird was seen at Kargil beach on Sunday, too. As per reports, in Japan, the bird is also known as sea cat for its cat-like call.According to Kanad Baidya of Birdwatchers’ Society, it is a vagrant here as it has been seen outside its wintering range. “This is the 933rd bird species from Bengal. It’s first time in four years that a new species has been recorded in Bengal during the Poila Baisakh Bird Count,” he added. Biswas said initially he got hold of a photo of the bird standing on the beach. “I asked those present to send a flight shot. Once I got it, I located the most notable identification mark — a broad black band on its tail,” he added.
