Knowledge Tree
ivory gull
Also known as: Ivory gulls
Facts (16)
Sources
A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Oct 25, 2024 16 facts
claimIvory gull breeding colonies are located in the High Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and the archipelagos of Svalbard (Norway) and Franz Josef Land (Russia).
claimMandt’s black guillemot (Cepphus grylle mandtii) in the Pacific Arctic, and the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) and Ross’s gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in the Atlantic Arctic, are closely tied to sea ice year-round and often follow the marginal ice zone.
claimKarnovsky et al. (2009) investigated the distribution and diet of ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) in the North Water Polynia.
referenceMallory et al. (2003) documented local ecological knowledge regarding the decline of ivory gull populations in Arctic Canada.
claimIvory gulls that nest in the Atlantic Arctic migrate to the Bering Sea during their non-breeding season.
claimThe retreat of the marginal ice zone will impact the migratory pathways of the ivory gull.
claimThe foraging behaviour of the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) is influenced by sea-ice-related features and anthropogenic subsidies.
claimThe ivory gull faces a high risk of population decline and potential extinction before the end of the century due to changes in the ice habitat used for migration and overwintering, combined with the impact of receding summer sea ice near breeding colonies.
claimThe ivory gull is an ice-dependent seabird that feeds on prey ranging from marine invertebrates to seal carcasses and is tightly linked to sea ice habitats throughout the year.
referenceGilg et al. (2016a) studied the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea), identifying it as an endangered sea-ice specialist living on the edge of a shrinking habitat.
referenceSpencer et al. (2016) published a study titled 'Key winter habitat of the ivory gull Pagophila eburnea in the Canadian Arctic' in Endangered Species Research.
claimMost of the non-breeding habitat of the ivory gull is projected to disappear due to climate change.
referenceFrederiksen, M., Gilg, O., and Yannic, G. (2021) published 'Cross‐icecap spring migration confirmed in a high‐Arctic seabird, the Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea' in Ibis, volume 163, pages 706–714, confirming the spring migration route of the Ivory Gull.
claimIvory gulls migrate along ice edges to wintering areas in the Davis Strait and the Bering Sea, where they remain in areas with available daylight during mid-winter to facilitate visual foraging.
referenceSpencer et al. (2014) published a study titled 'Annual movement patterns of endangered ivory gulls: the importance of sea ice' in PLoS ONE.
claimIvory gulls forage on sea ice by scavenging on the remains of kills made by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) or polar foxes (Vulpes lagopus).