Ivory Gull Identification Guide

Key Field Marks

• Size & shape: A medium-sized, compact gull about 16–18 inches (41–46 cm) long, with a relatively short, stout body, rounded head, and moderately long pointed wings; pigeon-like proportions compared to typical larger gulls.
• Adult plumage: Entirely pure white all over, with no gray or black markings on the body, wings, or tail — the only gull in the world with completely white adult plumage.
• Bill: Distinctive two-toned pattern — grayish-blue at the base transitioning to a bright yellow tip, quite short and stubby compared to other gulls.
• Legs & feet: Short, black legs and feet, contrasting sharply against the snow-white body — a key mark visible at rest or on ice.
• Immature plumage: Also mostly white but shows a variable amount of blackish speckling on the face (giving a "dirty-faced" look), scattered dark spots on the wings and body, and a solid blackish tail-tip band — still readily identified by the overall white base color unlike any young gull of another species.
• Eye: Dark eye set in an all-white face (in adults), sometimes with a thin reddish orbital ring.

Separating It From Similar Species

• Glaucous Gull / Iceland Gull (pale morphs): Both can look very pale, but always retain some pale gray on the mantle/back and pink (not black) legs, unlike the Ivory Gull's uniformly pure white body and black legs.
• Snowy Owl (non-gull confusion in flight at distance): Bulkier, with a rounded owl head, no gull-like bill, and different flight style; unlikely to be confused on close view.
• Domestic/albino gulls of other species: True albinism is rare and usually shows some plumage irregularities plus a pink (not gray-and-yellow) bill and pink legs, unlike the Ivory Gull's consistent bill and leg coloration.

Where & When to See It

• Habitat: True high-Arctic specialist — associated with pack ice, ice floes, glaciers, and polynyas (areas of open water within sea ice); often follows polar bears and seal carcasses to scavenge.
• Range: Breeds in the high Arctic (Canadian Arctic islands, Greenland, Svalbard, and Russian Arctic islands); winters along the edge of the pack ice, rarely wandering south, though individual vagrants occasionally appear far outside their normal range during winter, causing major birding interest when they do.
• Season: Present on Arctic breeding grounds in summer; found near sea ice edges through the winter, tracking the ice margin as it shifts.
• Behavior: A scavenger as well as predator, feeding on fish, marine invertebrates, and carrion including seal and whale carcasses and polar bear kill remains; often remarkably tame and approachable, especially at food sources, likely due to limited historical contact with humans.

Voice

• A shrill, tern-like "kwee" or repeated harsh "kier-kier" call, higher-pitched and less raucous than typical large gulls.