White-eyed Gull (1st record within India)

Pleased to share this first record of the white-eyed gull (Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus) from Indian territorial limits.

This species is normally restricted to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Specimens have been recorded in Maldives; they are thought to have arrived there by following ships. This is, however, the first ever record within Indian limits, and this species is hence a new addition to the checklist of Indian birds.
Rasmussen and Anderton excluded this bird from the subcontinent based on the ambiguity of the Maldives birds being truly 'wild'. Grimmett, Inskipp & Inskipp had included it in their 1998 edition (which I still use) based on the Maldives records, but excluded it from their 2012 revised edition.

A formal note about this sighting has been published in the Journal of Indian BIRDS - Vol 12, and I can share a PDF version of this; kindly send me a message if interested.

ID characters include the long, slender grey bill, the pattern on the tail, and the plumage around the head and neck. This species may be confused with the sooty gull (another rare visitor to India) but the above three features distinguish the two.

Nikon D7000, AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6E ED VR (handheld at 500mm)
SS 1/1000
Av 8
ISO 640
Huge crop

Thanks.

Congrats on the sighting. Lovely capture. Thanks for sharing.