Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii 
19-22 January, Hurghada, up to 35, of which about 15 first-winters and 
about 20 older birds. 
7 February, Abu Zenima, two second-winters or older. 
All were in fresh plumage. At Hurghada, of the birds older than first-winter, the 
majority had small whitish tips, increasing in size inwards, on all but the one or 
two outermost primaries, and a conspicuous subterminal blackish tail band, 
broad in the middle and narrowing outwards, being absent on the outer rectrices; 
in the others, the whitish tips were also present on the outermost primaries and 
the tail band was reduced to blackish subterminal patches of variable size and 
shape on up to six central rectrices. 
The birds of the first-mentioned group were probably second-winters, while 
those of the latter group were possibly third-winters (cf Cramp and Simmons 
1983). Despite prolonged searches, not a single full adult (with a comletely white 
tail) could be found. The islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez are the most 
northerly breeding area of the Sooty Gull. 119 adults were counted in April-May 
1983, and 225 adults and eight juveniles in September-October 1984 (Jennings et 
al. 1985). The lack of adults at Hurghada in January may indicate that the species 
is not resident in the northernmost Red Sea. 
White-eyed Gull L leucophthalmus 
Roughly 570, of which two first- winters, five second- winters, the others 
adult. Highest numbers were about 140 at Ain Sukhna on 19 January, 
about 240 at Hurghada from 19-22 January and about 145 at Abu Zenima 
on 7 February. All were in fresh plumage. 
In May 1984, Goodman and Storer (1987) found a preponderance of adults in the 
Hurghada-Safaga region. Jennings et al. (1985) counted about 3,489 adults on the 
islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez in April-May 1983 and about 5,652 adults 
and about 3,523 juveniles in September-October 1984. Apparently, most immatures 
disperse from the northernmost Red Sea after the breeding season. 
It isremarkable that, while both Sooty and White-eyed Gulls are at the northern 
limit of their breeding range in the Hurghada-South Sinai area (cf Goodman and 
Meiningerl989), adult Sooties were absent in Hurghada in January, while adults 
were the most common White-eyeds by far. 
Great Black-headed Gull L ichthyeatus 
7 February, 14 km south of Abu Rudeis, five, of which four adul ts and one 
first-winter. 
One of the adults was nearly in full summer plumage, the black hood being 
completely developed apart from some small white spots on the forehead. 
Initially the birds were resting on the beach. When I approached, they took flight, 
each individual separately, heading north and forming a loose party similar to 
that seen on Lake Nasser (Hoogendoorn 1991). They may have been early 
migrants. 
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