Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Ross’s Gull: An Arctic Wonder
Birders flock for a chance to spot these High Arctic specialists
© Tom Wilberding
The Ross’s Gull is a dainty seabird that’s rarely found south of the High Arctic. Though their bodies are mostly gray, their breast feathers and underparts glow a satiny pink thanks to pigments from the marine crustaceans they pluck from the ocean’s surface. Every so often, a Ross’s Gull drifts into southern Canada and the U.S. — and almost always attracts an adoring crowd.
BirdNote®
Ross’s Gull: An Arctic Wonder
Adapted from a script by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
[Ross’s Gull calls]
Ross’s Gull has a reputation for beguiling birders. They are very scarce, rarely stray south of the High Arctic, and they’re beautiful. Most birders would be happy to encounter one in their lifetime.
Ross’s Gulls have the gentle symmetry of a dove. These dainty seabirds have a petite black bill and wedge-shaped tail. Though their bodies are mostly gray, their breast feathers and underparts glow a satiny pink thanks to pigments from the marine crustaceans they pluck from the ocean’s surface.
[Ross’s Gulls]
Ross’s Gulls breed on the coasts of Greenland and northern Siberia, where they feast on flying insects hawked from tundra ponds. Nesting completed in August, many Ross’s Gulls rove thousands of miles west, to find food along the pack ice. By October, they’re on the move again. The gulls vanish for months to parts unknown, only to reappear at nesting sites in spring.
[Ross’s Gull calls]
Every so often, a Ross’s Gull drifts into southern Canada and the U.S. Next time one does, rest assured this Arctic wonder will draw an adoring crowd.
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
###
Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Ross's Gull ML105353261 and ML105346351 recorded by Tom Johnson.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2025 BirdNote August 2025
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# ROGU-01-2025-08-04 ROGU-01
Bob Sundstrom
Writer