Ivory Gull
A species of Ivory Gull Scientific name : Pagophila eburnea Genus : Ivory Gull
Ivory Gull, A species of Ivory Gull
Botanical name: Pagophila eburnea
Genus: Ivory Gull
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Photo By Samuel Etienne , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
This species is easy to identify. At approximately 43 centimetres (17 in), it has a different, more pigeon-like shape than the Larus gulls, but the adult has completely white plumage, lacking the grey back of other gulls. The thick bill is blue with a yellow tip, and the legs are black. The bill is tipped with red, and the eyes have a fleshy, bright red eye-ring in the breeding season. Its flight call cry is a harsh, tern-like keeeer. It has many other vocalizations, including a warbling "fox-call" that indicates potential predators such as an Arctic fox, polar bear, Glaucous Gull or human near a nest, a "long-call" given with wrists out, elongated neck and downward-pointed bill, given in elaborate display to other Ivories during breeding, and a plaintive begging call. given in courtship by females to males, accompanied by head-tossing. Young birds have a dusky face and variable amounts of black flecking in the wings and tail. The juveniles take two years to attain full adult plumage. There are no differences in appearance across the species’ geographic range. Measurements: Length: 15.8-16.9 in (40-43 cm) Weight: 15.8-24.2 oz (448-687 g) Wingspan: 42.5-47.2 in (108-120 cm) 
Size
43 cm (17 in)
Life Expectancy
8-24 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Clutch Size
1 - 3 eggs
Feeding Habits
Ivory Gull's diet includes fish, marine invertebrates, scavenged carcasses of marine mammals and birds, as well as carrion and refuse near human settlements. They display varied foraging methods, including following large predators, wading, and aggressive scavenging. They feed at all times and on diverse prey, from midge larvae to larger fauna like Dovekie and lemmings.
Habitat
Ivory Gull occupy the extreme High Arctic regions, preferring habitats tightly bound to sea ice such as pack ice edges, drift ice, and icebergs. These birds favor cold, open landscapes like ice fields, open water patches in ice (polynyas), and coastal areas including inaccessible cliffs and low rocks. Ivory Gull nest in varied environments at high altitudes, from inland cliffs, nunataks, and high mountains to flat islands and shoreline beaches. They persist through harsh Arctic winters, staying close to pack ice and are occasionally seen near northern human settlements post-breeding.
Nest Behavior
Ivory Gull pairs build their nest together in predator-free sites. They display variable egg-laying patterns and both parents engage in caring for their eggs and offspring.
Nest Characteristics
Ivory Gull nests typically on cliffs, ridges, or ice, using mosses, grasses, seaweeds, lichen, driftwood, feathers, and mud. The nest size ranges from 9-24 inches in diameter and 5-9 inches in height, with an interior cup 6 inches across and 1 inch deep.
Dite type
Piscivorous
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General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
The ivory Gull, renowned for its pristine white plumage, exhibits intricate social interactions particularly during its courtship period in late winter or spring. They perform rituals that include 'long calls', bowing, and wing displays in small groups. Males present stones and engage in head-toss displays and softer vocalizations, which, upon a female's reciprocation with similar gestures, leads to the male regurgitating food as part of mating. They form monogamous pairs, nesting in subtle colonies where duties like nest-building, incubation, and chick-rearing are shared. Communication within pairs is frequent, using specific calls for different actions. Interference by outsiders, often to disrupt courtship or to challenge nesting individuals, is not uncommon. Outside breeding, these birds indulge in communal activities like bathing and preening by freshwater ponds. Post-fledging, juveniles swiftly disperse to marine environments, while adults may lead solitary lives or form minor flocks outside the mating season.
Distribution Area
In North America, it only breeds in the Canadian Arctic. Seymour Island, Nunavut is home to the largest known breeding colony, while Ellesmere, Devon, Cornwallis, and north Baffin islands are known locations of breeding colonies. It is believed that there are other small breeding colonies of less than six birds that are still undiscovered. There are no records of the ivory gull breeding in Alaska. During the winter, ivory gulls live near polynyas, or a large area of open water surrounded by sea ice. North American birds, along with some from Greenland and Europe, winter along the 2000 km of ice edge stretching between 50° and 64° N from the Labrador Sea to Davis Strait that is bordered by Labrador and southwestern Greenland. Wintering gulls are often seen on the eastern coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador and occasionally appear on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the interior of Labrador. It also winters from October through June in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Seas. It is most widespread throughout the polynyas and pack ice of the Bering Sea. It is also vagrant throughout coastal Canada and the northeastern United States, though records of individuals as far south as California and Georgia have been reported, as well as The British Isles, with most records from late November through early March. Juveniles tend to wander further from the Arctic than adults.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
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