Ross's Gull (Rhodostetia rosea) Spotted South of Normal Range

Lindsey Markoff writes:

This unusual bird was seen along the coastal beach of Togiak, Alaska. The color of its feathers: bright pink with gray wings and a white face with a black outline of a circle also beak and feet color, black. This bird almost resembled a small seagull. Unsure of its bird species.

Patrick Walsh, Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Biologist, at the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, writes:

"What an interesting observation! The bird appears to be Ross's gull (Rhodostetia rosea). This is a high Arctic species, reported in Armstrong, R.,1990, Guide to the Birds of Alaska as occurring accidentally in southwestern Alaska and not known to breed here. This bird's bright plumage indicates it is a breeding adult, so it would be interesting to know if there are more than just one of these present.

My thanks to you, Lindsey Markoff, and Vivian Active for reporting this bird! This is the first record we have for this species at Togiak National Wildlife Refuge."

Kathy Kuletz, Seabird Coordinator at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service writes:

What an amazing sighting! Thanks for bringing it to my attention - and kudos to the folks who reported it, and even with photo backup. That's definitely a Ross's gull. I will pass this on to colleagues in the Circumpolar Seabird Group - I'm sure they'll be interested as well.

We will have to keep our eyes open to this possibility while conducting seabird surveys in the Bering and Chukchi seas this year. I will be out there for most of June, on the R/V Sikuliaq, and we have 5 other survey cruises this summer.

Erica Mitchell

Both Bryan Daniels, Waterfowl Biologist at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and Patrick Walsh at the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, identified this bird as a Ross's Gull.

Ross's Gulls typically nest in the high Arctic near open water, favoring marshy tundra or delta areas with low willows. They will overwinter on the pack ice. The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan lists the Ross's Gull as a Species of High Concern and estimates that there are fewer than 200 continental breeding birds. Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ross's Gull Species Profile According to the eBird observation Network, Ross's Gull sightings are concentrated north of Nome, however the gulls have also been seen in the Aleutian Islands, lower Alaska Peninsula, Nunivak Island, southern Seward Peninsula, and in the northern part of Alaska's southeast region.