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Ross's Gull

Rhodostethia roseaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Ross's Gull Portrait
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Related Birds

Little Gull
White Tern

General

Ross's Gull: The pink gull of the high Arctic. Small gull with pale gray upperparts, gray-white nape, white neck with thin black collar, and white, wedge-shaped tail; underparts are variably pink. Black bill is very short; legs and feet are orange-red. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has partial collar. Juvenile has brown crown, nape, and ear spot,black and brown barred upper parts, bold black and white wing pattern, black-tipped white tail, and pink legs and feet. 1st winter has white head with dark ear spot and begins to show gray on back and wings. 1st summer resembles breeding adult but has fainter collar and some dark on wings.

Range and Habitat

Ross's Gull: East Siberia, northern Canada, Greenland. Common fall migrant along northern coast of Alaska. Accidental or casual to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, northern midwest U.S. and New England shore as far south as New Jersey. Believed to winter at sea. Only known nesting area in North America is near Churchill, Manitoba.

Voice Text

"ah-wo, ah-wo", "clah-clah-clah", "prrew", "p-dew", "kik-kik-kik-kik-kik", "miaw-miaw"

Interesting Facts

  • The Ross's Gull is named after the British explorer James Clark Ross.
  • The appearance of one in settled areas attracts hundreds of observers and often makes headlines in newspapers.
  • A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.


Author

David Lukas

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Range Map for Ross's Gull
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Rhodostethia rosea
Length12.5 - 14 Inches
Wingspan33 Inches

Ross's Gull

Ross's Gull: The pink gull of the high Arctic. Small gull, pale gray upperparts, gray-white nape, white neck with thin black collar, and white, wedge-shaped tail; underparts are variably pink. Black bill is very short; legs, feet are orange-red. Often feeds on mudflats like a wader.

● Song: "ah-wo, ah-wo", "clah-clah-clah", "prrew", "p-dew", "kik-kik-kik-kik-kik", "miaw-miaw"

● Foraging & Feeding: Ross's Gull: Swims, wades, or dives to surface while flying. Often feeds along mudflats. Eats insects, marine crustaceans, and small fish.

● Breeding & nesting: Ross's Gull: Three brown spotted brown or green eggs are laid in a scrape or saucer on a small pile of grass or a tussuck near or in water. Both parents build the nest, and line it with dry grasses, moss and leaves. Incubation ranges from 21 to 22 days and is carried out by both sexes. Semiprecocial young are fed by both parents.

● Similar species: Black-legged Kiitwake., Ross's Gull: Juveniles and first winter Little Gull's are smaller, with a straight, not wedge-shaped, tail.

Flight Pattern

Direct pigeon like flight with rapid wing beats, also hovers.
Ross's Gull Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Ross's Gull: East Siberia, northern Canada, Greenland. Common fall migrant along northern coast of Alaska. Accidental or casual to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, northern midwest U.S. and New England shore as far south as New Jersey. Believed to winter at sea. Only known nesting area in North America is near Churchill, Manitoba.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationRare
MigrationSome migrate
Weight6.7 Ounces