Pelagic Bird Sightings Along the Arabian Sea Coast - Monthwise

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Pelagic Bird Sightings Along the Arabian Sea Coast:

Pelagic birding along the Arabian Sea coast offers a fascinating opportunity to observe diverse seabird species driven by seasonal monsoon patterns. This guide summarizes monthly sighting possibilities for key pelagic birds along the Indian Arabian coast—including Karnataka (Mangalore), Kerala, Goa—also Oman and Lakshadweep islands, categorized as Regular, Possible, and Rarer sightings.

Understanding the Categories:

• Regular: Commonly seen, high probability.

• Possible: Occasional sightings, worth watching for.

• Rarer: Sporadic or rare, special sightings.

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The Comprehensive Sightings Table

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Long-tailed Jaeger				Regular	Regular
Parasitic Jaeger	Regular	Regular	Regular					Possible	Possible	Regular	Regular	Regular
Pomarine Jaeger	Regular							Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible
Brown Skua									Possible	Possible		Rarer
South Polar Skua									Rarer
Wilson's Storm-Petrel						Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular
Jouanin's Petrel					Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible		Possible
Flesh-footed Shearwater							Regular	Regular
Persian Shearwater	Possible	Possible	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Possible
Sooty Shearwater									Possible
Bridled Tern				Possible	Possible		Possible	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular
Sooty Tern				Possible			Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible
Great Crested Tern	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular		Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Regular	Regular
Lesser Crested Tern	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular	Regular		Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible
Saunders's Tern								Possible	Possible
Lesser Frigatebird							Possible	Possible	Possible
Christmas Island Frigatebird								Possible
Brown Booby								Possible	Possible
Masked Booby							Possible	Possible

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Detailed Pelagic Bird Resources & Checklists

• Mangalore Pelagic Trip Handbook: Download PDF
  Comprehensive guide including travel, bird IDs, and tips for pelagic trips off Mangalore.

• Pelagic Bird Observations in Karnataka (eBird): View Charts & Data
  Extensive bar charts showing yearly and monthly sighting trends.

• eBird Trip Reports:

  • Mangalore Pelagic March 2021

  • Oman Pelagic Sightings

  • Lakshadweep Bird Sightings

• Overnight Pelagic Birding Experience (Travelogue by Harish Thangaraj): Read More (PDF)

• Pelagic Bird Identification Crash Course: Access Here

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Final Notes for Birders

• Peak sighting months generally fall between July and October, coinciding with monsoon currents and migratory influx.

• Year-round residents like Persian Shearwaters provide excellent opportunities anytime.

• Check local weather and sea conditions beforehand for safety and optimal birding conditions.

• Patience and alertness on the boat will usually reward you with spectacular pelagic bird sightings.

Happy birding and do share your pelagic sightings and photos with fellow enthusiasts!

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