Pagophila eburnea

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	LARIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pagophila eburnea

Species Authority:

(Phipps, 1774)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ivory Gull

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Calvert, R., Butchart, S., Bird, J.

Contributor/s:

Gavrilo, M., Miljeteig, C., Strom, H., Volkov, A., Stenhouse, I.

Justification:
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.

History:

2008	–	Near Threatened
2006	–	Near Threatened
2005	–	Near Threatened
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Pagophila eburnea has a near-circumpolar distribution in the Arctic seas and pack-ice, breeding from north Canada through Greenland (to Denmark), Svalbard (Svalbard and Jan Meyan Islands (to Norway)) and islands off northern Russia. The Russian population is estimated to number in the range of 14,500-22,000 individuals, with recent surveys giving estimates of including 1,500-3,000 breeding pairs on Franz-Josef Land (European Russia), 5,000-6,000 pairs on Severnaya Zemlya; and 1,500-3,000 pairs in the rest of the Kara Sea Islands²³. Other populations include 500-700 individuals in northeast Canada^13,19, 500-1,000 in Greenland¹³, and 350-500 pairs in Svalbard^13,24. Given these totals, the global population is perhaps best placed in the band 15,000-25,000 individuals. The population is possibly larger: extrapolations based on aerial estimates suggested up to 35,000+ between Canada and Greenland in 1978-1979 ¹⁶. The Spitsbergen population is probably decreasing¹¹, and breeding has apparently recently ceased on Victoria Island in Russia²³. Other Russian populations are apparently stable, although interannual fluctuations complicate the calculation of trend estimates. Recent surveys have revealed a drastic decline in Canadian populations, falling from 2,400 birds in 1987 to 500-700 birds in 2002-2003¹³, representing an 80% decline in that period across the Canadian breeding range in all three known nesting habitat types¹⁴. Birds have disappeared from 13 known and three suspected breeding colony sites.
Countries:	Native: Canada; Greenland; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; United States Vagrant: Belgium; Czech Republic; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Russian Federation; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	14,500-22,000 individuals in the Russian Arctic, of which 2,500-10,000 in European Russia (BirdLife International 2004, updating 8,000 estimated by Dement'ev 1951 and Bangjord et al. 1994), 4,000 on Severnaya Zemliya (Volkov and de Korte 1996), 8,000 on Franz Josef Land and Victoria Island; plus 500-700 in northeast Canada in 2002-2003 (Hess (2004), 500-1,000 in Greenland (BirdLife International 2004), and 50-200 in Svalbard (BirdLife International 2004), giving total of 15,550-23,900, perhaps best placed in the band 15,000-25,000 individuals. The population is possibly larger: Orr and Parsons (1982) recorded aerial estimates of up to 35,000+ between Canada and Greenland in 1978-1979 while del Hoyo et al. (1996) estimated possibly 25,000 pairs (75,000 individuals).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

14,500-22,000 individuals in the Russian Arctic, of which 2,500-10,000 in European Russia (BirdLife International 2004, updating 8,000 estimated by Dement'ev 1951 and Bangjord et al. 1994), 4,000 on Severnaya Zemliya (Volkov and de Korte 1996), 8,000 on Franz Josef Land and Victoria Island; plus 500-700 in northeast Canada in 2002-2003 (Hess (2004), 500-1,000 in Greenland (BirdLife International 2004), and 50-200 in Svalbard (BirdLife International 2004), giving total of 15,550-23,900, perhaps best placed in the band 15,000-25,000 individuals. The population is possibly larger: Orr and Parsons (1982) recorded aerial estimates of up to 35,000+ between Canada and Greenland in 1978-1979 while del Hoyo et al. (1996) estimated possibly 25,000 pairs (75,000 individuals).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is migratory¹⁸. It breeds between late-June and August (although most pairs do not lay until early-July, and some pairs may not breed if food conditions are unfavourable) in colonies of 5-60 pairs (rarely more than 100 pairs)⁶. It departs from the breeding grounds between August and October, returning late-February to early-June¹⁸. Outside of the breeding season the species is weakly gregarious, occurring singly or in flocks of up to 20 individuals¹⁷. Larger numbers also gather in the spring at hooded seal Pagophilus groenlandicus whelping sites, where they feed on carrion and discarded placentae⁶. The species also regularly follows polar bears Thalarctos maritimus to feed on scraps from their kill⁶. Habitat Breeding It breeds in the high Arctic north of the July 5^oC isotherm¹⁷ on coastal or inland cliffs^{6, 17} up to 300 m high¹⁷, on broken ice-fields or on bare, level shorelines with low rocks^{6, 17}. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season it associates with the edges of pack-ice, showing a preference for areas with 70-90% ice cover⁶. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of fish, shrimps, shellfish, algae and carrion (e.g. seal placentae)⁶. Breeding site The nest is constructed of moss, straw and other debris on a snow-free area of rock⁶. Nest sites include broad upper ledges of steep, inaccessible coastal or inland cliffs^{6, 17} up to 300 m high¹⁷, broken ice-fields and bare, level shorelines with low rocks^{6, 17}. On cliffs, pairs usually nest within 10 m of the top in small colonies with inter-nest distances of 1-20 m⁶.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is migratory¹⁸. It breeds between late-June and August (although most pairs do not lay until early-July, and some pairs may not breed if food conditions are unfavourable) in colonies of 5-60 pairs (rarely more than 100 pairs)⁶. It departs from the breeding grounds between August and October, returning late-February to early-June¹⁸. Outside of the breeding season the species is weakly gregarious, occurring singly or in flocks of up to 20 individuals¹⁷. Larger numbers also gather in the spring at hooded seal Pagophilus groenlandicus whelping sites, where they feed on carrion and discarded placentae⁶. The species also regularly follows polar bears Thalarctos maritimus to feed on scraps from their kill⁶. Habitat Breeding It breeds in the high Arctic north of the July 5^oC isotherm¹⁷ on coastal or inland cliffs^{6, 17} up to 300 m high¹⁷, on broken ice-fields or on bare, level shorelines with low rocks^{6, 17}. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season it associates with the edges of pack-ice, showing a preference for areas with 70-90% ice cover⁶. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of fish, shrimps, shellfish, algae and carrion (e.g. seal placentae)⁶. Breeding site The nest is constructed of moss, straw and other debris on a snow-free area of rock⁶. Nest sites include broad upper ledges of steep, inaccessible coastal or inland cliffs^{6, 17} up to 300 m high¹⁷, broken ice-fields and bare, level shorelines with low rocks^{6, 17}. On cliffs, pairs usually nest within 10 m of the top in small colonies with inter-nest distances of 1-20 m⁶.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is thought to be declining due to changes in conditions on its staging or wintering grounds (e.g. more severe winters, changing sea-ice distribution and thickness)¹⁹. The species is hunted¹⁹. Potential causes of the decline identified in Canada include illegal hunting²⁰, oiling at sea, disturbance of colonies due to escalating diamond exploration and/or increased nest predation, and toxic pollutants that bioaccumulate at high trophic levels²¹. For example, concentrations of total mercury in eggs of Ivory Gulls collected from Seymour Island, Canada, have steadily increased since 1976 to levels which are now among the highest measured in seabirds²¹, which may have had a long-term effect on breeding productivity²². Potentially having the same effect, levels of PCB and DDT are higher in Ivory Gull eggs than in all other Arctic seabirds²⁵.

Major Threat(s):

The species is thought to be declining due to changes in conditions on its staging or wintering grounds (e.g. more severe winters, changing sea-ice distribution and thickness)¹⁹. The species is hunted¹⁹. Potential causes of the decline identified in Canada include illegal hunting²⁰, oiling at sea, disturbance of colonies due to escalating diamond exploration and/or increased nest predation, and toxic pollutants that bioaccumulate at high trophic levels²¹. For example, concentrations of total mercury in eggs of Ivory Gulls collected from Seymour Island, Canada, have steadily increased since 1976 to levels which are now among the highest measured in seabirds²¹, which may have had a long-term effect on breeding productivity²². Potentially having the same effect, levels of PCB and DDT are higher in Ivory Gull eggs than in all other Arctic seabirds²⁵.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway A Norwegian-Russian project satellite tagged 20 individuals in 2007/2008 to assess movements at breeding grounds and their dispersal ability. Conservation Actions Proposed Monitor population trends throughout the range, with particular emphasis on determining rates of decline in main breeding areas. Research the magnitude of threats facing all populations. Protect colonies from mining action.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
A Norwegian-Russian project satellite tagged 20 individuals in 2007/2008 to assess movements at breeding grounds and their dispersal ability.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor population trends throughout the range, with particular emphasis on determining rates of decline in main breeding areas. Research the magnitude of threats facing all populations. Protect colonies from mining action.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Pagophila eburnea. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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