Ross's Gull (Rhodostetia rosea) Spotted at Togiak Beach

Observation by Vivian Active:

Pink-colored looking Arctic tern, and shape of the head had like owl design with black beak.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This is one of two observations from Togiak of an unusual bird sighting. The observations were forwarded to Patrick Walsh, the Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Biologist, at the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

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."

Resources:

The Audubon Society describes the Ross's gull as an elusive Arctic bird, nesting far away from human-impacted areas. See the Ross's Gull Species Profile.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology also has a species profile for the Ross's gull, with additional information on the gull's conservation status.

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.