Ross's Gull
Rhodostethia rosea
Long-winged, wedge-tailed, delicate seabird of far northern climates, nesting in open wet tundra and wintering around sea ice, occasionally moving into coastal areas. Breeding adult astonishingly beautiful: pearly gray above, rose-pink below, with coral-red legs, thin black collar, and tiny black bill. Nonbreeding adult has a tiny black dot near the ear and loses the black collar and much or all of the pink coloration. First-winter birds have blackish “M” pattern in upperwing and black tip on wedge-shaped tail. Flight graceful and buoyant.
Identification
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.<p>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.<p>Ross's gull measurements:
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rhodostethia rosea
- Authority
- (MacGillivray, W, 1824)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Rhodostethia
Range and habitat
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 December 2021 two were seen in Belgium, one in Nieuwpoort and one in Zeebrugge. 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.
- Breeding range
- PAL, NA : w, e Greenland (rare); Arctic ne Siberia, locally from Taimyr Pen. to Kolyma River; Arctic ne Canada and formerly Churchill, Manitoba (wc Hudson Bay, ec Canada)
- Non-breeding range
- Arctic Ocean, in Beaufort (n of Alaska) and Labrador seas (at least)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown Tanager
Orchesticus abeillei
Large and rather uncommon tanager found in the canopy of humid forests where it usually accompanies mixed-species flocks. Plain brown overall with a cinnamon face, wings, and tail and a dark mask running through the eyes. Its plumage mimics the Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, with which it is easily confused and it may even occur in the same flock, but note the tanager’s thicker bill. The thin rising song is very high-pitched.
Salvadori's Teal
Salvadorina waigiuensis
An unusual duck of alpine lakes and mountain streams. Very distinctive elongated shape with yellow bill, dark head, strong barring on the body and a pointy tail which is cocked when startled. In flight, it has a green panel in the wing bordered with white. It swims with a distinctive head-bobbing motion and feeds by dabbling and diving. It is a strong swimmer and can also do agile leaps onto rocks. Usually silent, but occasional gives a quack or series of “whip-whip-whip” notes.
Yellow-billed Magpie
Pica nuttalli
Large, striking black-and-white bird; related to crows and jays. Unmistakably long tail and bold pattern, especially visible in flight. Look for bright yellow bill and iridescent blue-green on wings and tail. Limited range in California; does not overlap with Black-billed Magpie. Prefers open areas with scattered trees, especially oaks. Often found in pairs or small family groups foraging on the ground.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.