Ivory gull
Ivory gull | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Charadriiformes |
Family: | Laridae |
Genus: | Pagophila Kaup, 1829 |
Species: | P. eburnea
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Binomial name | |
Pagophila eburnea (
Phipps , 1774) | |
Synonyms | |
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The ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) is a small
Taxonomy
The ivory gull was initially described by Constantine Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave in 1774 as Larus eburneus from a specimen collected on Spitsbergen during his 1773 expedition towards the North Pole.[2] Johann Jakob Kaup later recognized the unique traits of the ivory gull and gave it a monotypic genus, Pagophila, in 1829.[2] Johan Ernst Gunnerus later gave the species a new specific name, Pagophila alba.[2][dubious ] The genus name Pagophila is from Ancient Greek pagos, "sea-ice", and philos, "-loving", and specific eburnea is Latin for "ivory-coloured", from ebur, "ivory".[3] Today some authors consider the ivory gull not deserving of its monotypic genus, instead choosing to merge it, along with the other monotypic gulls, back into Larus.[2] However, most authors have not chosen to do so. The ivory gull has no subspecies.[2] No fossil members of this genus are known.[4]
This gull has traditionally been believed to be most closely related to either the
Colloquial names from Newfoundland include slob gull (from "slob", a local name for drift ice) and ice partridge, from a vague resemblance to a
Description
This species is easy to identify. At approximately 43 centimetres (17 in), it has a different, more
Measurements:[7]
- Length: 15.8–16.9 in (40–43 cm)
- Weight: 15.8–24.2 oz (450–690 g)
- Wingspan: 42.5–47.2 in (108–120 cm)
Distribution and habitat
In North America, it only breeds in the Canadian Arctic.[4] 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.[4] It is believed that there are other small breeding colonies of less than six birds that are still undiscovered.[4] There are no records of the ivory gull breeding in Alaska.[4]
During the winter, ivory gulls live near
Ecology and behavior
Ivory gulls migrate only short distances south in autumn, most of the population wintering in northern latitudes at the edge of the pack ice, although some birds reach more temperate areas.
Diet
It takes
Reproduction
The ivory gull breeds on Arctic coasts and cliffs, laying one to three olive eggs in a ground nest lined with moss, lichens, or seaweed.
Status
In 2012 the total population of ivory gulls was estimated to be between 19,000 and 27,000 individuals.[1] The majority of these were in Russia with 2,500–10,000 along the Arctic coastline, 4,000 on the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago[8] and 8,000 on Franz Josef Land and Victoria Island. There were also estimated to be around 4,000 individuals in Greenland[9] and in the years 2002–03, 500–700 were recorded in Canada.[1] Examination of data collected on an icebreaker plying between Greenland and Svalbard between 1988 and 2014, by Claude Joiris of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, found a sevenfold fall in ivory gull numbers after 2007.[10] The species is rapidly declining in Canada, while in other parts of its range its population is poorly known. The Canadian population in the early 2000s were approximately 80% lower than in the 1980s.[10]
Illegal hunting may be one of the causes of the decline in the Canadian population, and a second cause may be the decline in sea ice. Ivory gulls breed near to sea ice and the loss may make it difficult to feed their chicks.[10][11]
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "Near Threatened".[1]
Literary appearances
An ivory gull is the inspiration for the eponymous carving in Holling C. Holling's classic Newbery Medal-winning children's book, Seabird.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mallory, Mark L.; Stenhouse, Iain J.; Gilchrist, Grant; Robertson, J., Gregory; Haney, Christopher; Macdonald, Stewart D. (2008). "Ivory Gull: Systematics". The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2010-11-16.(subscription required)
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mallory, Mark L.; Stenhouse, Iain J.; Gilchrist, Grant; Robertson, J., Gregory; Haney, Christopher; Macdonald, Stewart D. (2008). "Ivory Gull: Distribution". The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2010-11-18. (subscription required)
- PMID 16054399. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
- JSTOR 453005.
- ^ "Ivory Gull Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
- .
- S2CID 45579610.
- ^ a b c "Beautiful ivory gulls are disappearing from the Arctic". New Scientist (3091): 14. 17 September 2016.
- .
Further reading
- Blomqvist, Sven; Elander, Magnus (1981). "Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini), Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) and Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) Gulls in the Arctic: A Review". Arctic. 34 (2): 122–132. JSTOR 40509127.
- Bull, John; Farrand Jr., John (April 1984). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-41405-8.
- Gilg, Olivier; Strøm, Hallvard; Aebischer, Adrian; Gavrilo, Maria V.; Volkov, Andrei E.; Miljeteig, Cecilie; Sabard, Brigitte (2010). "Post-breeding movements of northeast Atlantic ivory gull Pagophila eburnea populations". Journal of Avian Biology. 41 (5): 532–542. .
- Harrison, Peter (1991). Seabirds: an identification guide (2nd ed.). London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-071363510-2.
- Mallory, Mark L.; Gilchrist, H. Grant; Fontaine, Alain J.; Akearok, Jason A. (2003). "Local ecological knowledge of Ivory Gull declines in arctic Canada". Arctic. 56 (3): 293–298. JSTOR 40512546.
- Renaud, Wayne E.; McLaren, Peter L. (1982). "Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) distribution in late summer and autumn in eastern Lancaster Sound and western Baffin Bay". Arctic. 35 (1): 141–148. JSTOR 40509309.
- Stenhouse, Iain J.; Gilchrist, Grant; Mallory, Mark L.; Robertson, Gregory J. (2006). COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea in Canada (PDF). Ottawa, Canada: Committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada. ISBN 978-0-662-43267-8.
External links
- Video and audio recordings of the Ivory Gull Archived 2019-04-03 at the Wayback Machine, Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ivory Gull in California Ivory Gull information and Photos in California
- Satellite tracking of Greenland Ivory Gulls
- Oiseaux Photos, illustrations, map.
- FGBOW Photos on Flickr
- Avibase