Ivory Gulls

This pure white, strongly ice-associated gull is found only in the Arctic and has been experiencing such precipitous declines in some parts of its range that it has recently been listed as endangered in Canada. The ivory gull has a varied diet but is usually found at the ice edge where it feeds on crustaceans and small fish such as polar cod as well as scavenging the remains of polar bear kills. Reasons for the decline of the ivory gull in Canada, Svalbard and the Russian Arctic remain unknown, but scientists have suggested that the concentration of pollutants such as mercury in the food chain, and the recent rapid loss of sea ice due to global warming could both be to blame. Read more on Arctic wildlife and biodiversity.