Home Application Download FAQ
English
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية

Ross's Gull

A species of Ross'S Gull, Also known as Red Gull
Scientific name : Rhodostethia rosea Genus : Ross'S Gull

Ross's Gull, A species of Ross'S Gull
Also known as:
Red Gull
Botanical name: Rhodostethia rosea
Genus: Ross'S Gull
Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) Photo By Seabamirum , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

This small bird is similar in size and some plumage characteristics to the little gull. It is slightly larger and longer winged than the little gull species, and has more-pointed wings and a wedge-shaped tail. Its legs are red. Summer adults are pale grey above and white below, with a pink flush to the breast, and a neat black neck ring. In winter, the breast tints and neck collar are lost and a small dark crescent develops behind the eye. Young birds resemble winter adults, but have a dark "W" pattern on the wings in flight, like young little gulls. The juveniles take two years to attain full adult plumage. Ross's gull measurements: Length: 11.4-12.2 in (29-31 cm) Weight: 4.9-8.8 oz (140-250 g) Wingspan: 35.4-39.4 in (90-100 cm)
Size
32-36 cm (12.5-14 in)
Life Expectancy
21 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Ross's Gull primarily consume invertebrates, small fish, and marine vertebrates. They exhibit varied feeding behaviors, including surface skimming, mudflat racing, and spinning in water to capture prey. They sometimes follow ships to access prey beneath ice and eat biofilm from intertidal zones.
Habitat
Ross's Gull predominantly thrives in the boggy terrains of the upper taiga and tundra, favoring marshy tundra landscapes near ponds or within river deltas, where scattered dwarf shrubs, willows, and alders are present. Specifically adapted to cold climates, ross's Gull nests in small colonies at low altitudes and, outside the breeding season, forages near Arctic Ocean pack ice. They show a strong preference for open seas and ice edges, and during migration, they may appear in diverse aquatic environments in the U.S., often associating with other small gull species.
Nest Behavior
Both male and female ross's Gull collaborate in the construction of the nest. Timing of nest building and egg-laying patterns are aligned with the brief Arctic summer, ensuring parental care during the optimal season.
Nest Characteristics
Ross's Gull typically nests on small hummocks or tussocks in marshy tundra, creating a cup-shaped structure composed of grasses, sedges, and reindeer moss.
Dite type
Aquatic invertebrate eater

General Info

Behavior

Ross's Gull exhibits several distinct behaviors that underscore their adaptability to their arctic and subarctic habitats. Typically, ross's Gull engage in a swift courtship upon reaching their nesting grounds, expressing an urgent vocalization akin to shorebirds. Mutual nest-building, egg incubation, and chick rearing are shared responsibilities between mates, reflecting a strong partnership. Territorial defense by males escapes frequent conflict due to the sparse clustering of nests, which are meticulously concealed to evade detection—underscoring their cautious nature. A notable behavior mirroring shorebirds is the adults' strategic diversion of predators using feigned injury or distraction techniques. Remarkably, ross's Gull sometimes consolidate chicks from multiple nests, enhancing communal protection in their offspring's vulnerable stages. Their daily activities and interactions with their environment reveal a blend of typical avian care strategies and unique survival adaptations.

Distribution Area

Ross's gull breeds in the high Arctic of northernmost North America, and northeast Siberia. It migrates only short distances south in autumn, most of the population wintering in northern latitudes at the edge of the pack ice in the northern Bering Sea and in the Sea of Okhotsk, although some birds reach more temperate areas, such as north west Europe; in February 2016 they were sighted in Cornwall and Ireland according to the BTOs 'BirdTrack'. In North America, a Ross's gull has been spotted as far south as Salton Sea in California, although sightings this far south are extremely rare. The summer breeding grounds are tundra with sedges, grass tussocks, dwarf willows, bushes, lichens and pools.

Species Status

Not globally threatened.
Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) Photo By Seabamirum , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Scientific Classification

Download Picture Bird
Identify any bird by photo or sound in seconds
Cookie Management Tool
In addition to managing cookies through your browser or device, you can change your cookie settings below.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
Analytical Cookies
Analytical cookies help us to improve our application/website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_ga Google Analytics These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here. 1 Year
_pta PictureThis Analytics We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_ga
Source
Google Analytics
Purpose
These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_pta
Source
PictureThis Analytics
Purpose
We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience.
Lifespan
1 Year
Marketing Cookies
Marketing cookies are used by advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_fbp Facebook Pixel A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here. 1 Year
_adj Adjust This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_fbp
Source
Facebook Pixel
Purpose
A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_adj
Source
Adjust
Purpose
This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year
Download