ARCTIC The Breeding Distribution and Current Population Status of the Ivory Gull in Canada

• Main Authors: V. G. Thomas, S. D. Macdonald
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1985
• Subjects: Arctic; Brodeur Peninsula; Canada; Ellesmere Island; Seymour; Arctique*; Baffin; ivory gull
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.535.8643; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic40-3-211.pdf

populations of the ivory gull (Pugophila eburneu). The known Canadian population is confined to Ellesmere, D von, Seymour, Baffii and Perley islands. Two major concentrations of ivory gull colonies exist, one among the granitic nunataks of southeastern Ellesmere Island and the other on the sedimentary plateaus of the Brodeur Peninsula of Baffii Island. The size of breeding groups varies greatly from 4 to over 300 adult gulls. Breeding colonies are typified by their inland, remote and desolate locations and virtual absence of other animal species. We suggest that there is a single Canadian population of ivory gulls whose adult cohort contains over 2400 birds. The small number of leg band recoveries and retrapping of banded birds indicates that individuals can live at least 15 years. One-year-old ivory gulls were not seen at the colonies or on adjacent waters, and their location during summer remains unknown. Key words: ivory gull, Pugophilu eburneu, arctic breeding populations, nunataks, polynyas RÉSUMÉ. On a effectué des relevCs akriens dans la partie est de l’Extrême-Arctique canadien de 1982 il 1985 pour établi la distribution et la taille des populations de mouettes blanches (Pugophila eburneu) qui se reproduisent. La population canadienne que l’on connaît habite seulement les îles Ellesmere, Devon, Seymour, Baffin et Perley. I1 y a deux endroits importants oil se concentrent les colonies de mouettes blanches, l’une parmi les nunataks granitiques du sud-est de l’île Ellesmere, et l’autre sur les plateaux s6dhentaires de la presqu’lle Brodeur dans l’île Baffin. La taille des groupes