Ivory Gull [Pagophila eburnea]
Description
The Ivory Gull is a small gull, the only species in the genus Pagophila. It breeds in the high arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America, and Eurasia. The Ivory Gull is approximately 17 inches in length with a 43 inch wingspan. Its plumage is completely white, which matches its icy, snowy habitat. The bird feeds on fish, crustaceans, and carrion. During the winter, it ventures out to sea as the ice recedes.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Charadriiformes
|
| Family |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Laridae
|
| Genus |
Ivory Gulls
Pagophila
|