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Ross's Gull - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 15:08, 25 August 2023 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (→‎References: Typo)
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Rhodostethia rosea

Identification

29–32 cm (11½-12½ in)
Summer adult

  • Pale grey upperparts
  • White underparts
  • Pink flush to the breast
  • Black neck ring
  • Pointed tail
  • Red legs
  • Short, black bill
Photo by Dwaalgast
Scheveningen, The Netherlands 23 November 2004

Winter adult, the breast tints and neck collar are mostly lost (but remnants remain).
Juvenile has a noticeable "W" pattern across the wings in flight

Similar Species

Little Gull is slightly smaller with hood, pale wingtips (adult), longer bill, and shorter primary projection.

Distribution

Second Calendar Year
Photo © by katastrofa
Varanger, Norway, 27 May 2022

Northern Canada and north-eastern Siberia. Vagrant to Britain, north, central and southern Europe

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1], which is sometimes placed in genus Hydrocoloeus.

Habitat

Breeds in swampy arctic tundra.
Sea coasts and coastal lagoons, often perches on ice floes and glacier edges.

Behaviour

Flight

Very bouyant. In a high wind will 'shear' like a Kittiwake and will hover and dip reminiscent of a marsh terns.

Breeding

Two to three eggs are laid in a nest on the ground.

Diet

Its diet includes any small prey and it feeds on mudflats.

Vocalisation

A typical call is "e-wo,e-wo,e-wo", or "kliaw"'.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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