Rare Central Asian gull spotted in Tainan for first time

Tainan, Jan. 9 (CNA) A relict gull has been spotted in Tainan for the first time, marking only the fifth recorded sighting of the vulnerable Central Asian species in Taiwan, according to the Wild Bird Society of Tainan.

Local birdwatcher Lin Kun-hui (林坤慧) spotted the gull on Wednesday after noticing it stood out among other birds at a salt pan in Tainan's Jiangjun District. The species was later confirmed through photographs, the society said.

Relict gulls typically inhabit salt lakes in Central Asia, making their appearance in Taiwan an unusual case of vagrancy far outside their normal range, according to the society.

The species is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.

The most recent previous sighting in Taiwan occurred in Changhua County in November 2025.

As the gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, the society said it may be the same individual spotted in 2025, possibly moving south to escape recent cold surges.

Earlier sightings were recorded in Kinmen County in 2013, Yilan County in 2016 and Pingtung County in 2024, the society added.