Arrival and departure of Pallas's Gulls Larus ichthyaetus in Kerala, southern India

Arrival and departure dates of Pallas’s Gulls Larus ichthyaetus were assessed in the Kadalundy-Vallikkunnu Community Reserve on the southwest coast of India, and secondary information was collated from Migrant Watch to evaluate arrival and departure dates elsewhere in the country. Generally the birds arrived at Kadalundy in November or early December and departed in the second half of April or first half of May. A review of existing information across the country has shown that the dates of arrival vary with latitude. Further, we highlight the possibility that some Pallas’s Gulls remain throughout the summer in Kadalundy- Vallikkunnu Community Reserve, something which has not been reported before in India.