The Ivory Gull is a small species of gull that breeds in the arctic. It has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America and Eurasia. In the fall it migrates only short distances south, but some birds reach more temperate areas. Occasionally a bird will travel further south than usual, as was the case in November 2009 when an Ivory Gull was seen at Cape May, New Jersey USA.
Ivory Gulls are completely white, with a thick blue bill that has a yellow tip. It is known to follow polar bears and other predators to scavenge on the remains of their prey.
The population trend for the Ivory Gull is decreasing, and the conservation status as of November 2014 is Near Threatened. Climate change, environmental toxins, and hunting are some of the threats facing this species.
From IUCN Red List: The Ivory Gull is listed as Near Threatened
on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2012 by BirdLife International. This species has declined rapidly in parts of its range, but its status in other areas is poorly known. A number of factors are likely to be contributing to declines, including climate change, pollution and increasing human intrusion or hunting within breeding areas. It is currently considered Near Threatened; but further surveys are required in order to clarify the true magnitude of declines.
An Ivory Gull has been seen around Cape May recently. These birds usually only hang around in the arctic, so this is a rare visitor for New Jersey. We wish all Ivory ... more
Welcome to Birdorable's first ever Gull Week! We're happy to celebrate gulls, a widespread family of social and intelligent seabirds. So far, we've got 21 species of gull in our cute cartoon ... more
