Sabine's Gull [Xema sabini]
Description
The Sabine's Gull is a small gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. They are migratory and most winter at sea in the Pacific Ocean or the Humboldt Current off the coast of South America. An adult is 27-33 cm in length, its wingspan is 67-73 cm, and it weighs around 135-200 g. The bird has a white triangle on the outer part of its wing formed by the white tips of the primary feathers contrasting with the black wingtips. It has a notched tail with a black triangle of the central feathers, and the head and under parts are white. The legs and bill are black.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Charadriiformes
|
| Family |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Laridae
|
| Genus |
Sabine's Gulls
Xema
|