Sabine’s gull is a species of gull found across the northern hemisphere. Its scientific name is Xema sabini. It was named after Irish naturalist Edward Sabine in 1819 by English ornithologist William Elford Leach. Sabine’s gull is medium-sized, distinguishing features include a black hood, yellow-tipped black bill, and grey wings. Its breeding habitat is marshy tundra areas near the Arctic Circle. Outside the breeding season, it is pelagic and migrates long distances.
Naming and Classification
Sabine’s gull was first described by English ornithologist William Elford Leach in 1819. Leach gave it the scientific name Larus sabini, honoring Irish naturalist Edward Sabine. It was later moved to the genus Xema, created by German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. Its current scientific name is Xema sabini.
Sabine’s gull belongs to the family Laridae, which includes all gulls, terns, and skimmers. Within the Laridae family, molecular studies show that Sabine’s gull is most closely related to the swallow-tailed gull and the kelp gull. Its next closest relatives are thought to be the grey, red-legged, and ivory gulls.
Some key facts about the classification and naming of Sabine’s gull:
Scientific Name | Xema sabini |
Family | Laridae (gulls, terns, and skimmers) |
Closest Relatives | Swallow-tailed gull, kelp gull |
Describer | William Elford Leach, 1819 |
Honors | Edward Sabine |
Description and Identification
Sabine’s gull is a distinctive medium-sized gull that measures 13-15 inches (33-38 cm) in length with a wingspan of 33-40 inches (85-100 cm). Some key physical features that help identify Sabine’s gull:
Plumage
– Black hood that covers the entire head
– Gray upperparts and wings
– White triangular patch on rear ear coverts
– White undersides
Bill
– Black and slender
– Yellow tip
Legs and feet
– Black
– Webbed feet
In flight
– Black wingtips with white “mirrors”
– Deeply forked tail
– Swift and buoyant flight
The black hood that covers the head and nape is a key field mark for Sabine’s gull. The hood is present on adults in all seasons. First-year birds have some black flecking on the head and nape.
In flight, Sabine’s gull has grey upperwing coverts that contrast with the black primary wingtips. This creates a distinctive pattern compared to other small gulls.
Distribution and Habitat
Sabine’s gull has a circumpolar distribution across the northern hemisphere. Its breeding habitat is marshy tundra areas near the Arctic Circle. Key breeding areas include:
North America
– Northern Alaska
– Western Canadian Arctic
– Hudson Bay lowlands
Eurasia
– Northern Russia
– Scandinavia
– Siberia
The total global population is estimated at 50,000 to 74,000 breeding pairs. After breeding, Sabine’s gulls migrate long distances and most of the population winters at sea. The winter range extends south to tropical and subtropical waters across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
Some known wintering hotspots:
– Offshore waters of Peru and Chile
– Gulf of Mexico
– Bay of Bengal
During migration, Sabine’s gulls can turn up almost anywhere across the northern hemisphere along coasts or over land. Vagrants may reach as far south as Australia and New Zealand in some years.
Behavior and Ecology
Sabine’s gulls exhibit some unique behaviors and adaptations linked to their Arctic breeding grounds:
Nesting
– Lay eggs in shallow scrapes lined with vegetation
– Nest sites are open and exposed, lack cover
– Both parents share incubation duties
Foraging
– aerial foraging is main hunting technique
– Hawk flying insects in flight
– Can also dip feed and surface seize prey from water
Diet
– Mostly insects during breeding season (flies, beetles, crane flies)
– Some prey switching to fish and marine invertebrates in nonbreeding seasons
Migration
– One of the longest migrations of any gull species
– Capable of nonstop transoceanic flights > 10,000 km
Sabine’s gulls are aerial acrobats and graceful fliers. Their long pointed wings, short legs, and slender bills are adaptations for their aerial lifestyle. At breeding colonies, they may congregate in large flocks that perform group aerial displays.
Status and Conservation
Sabine’s gull has a relatively small global population but is not considered globally threatened. Its remote Arctic nesting habitat provides some natural protection. Potential threats and conservation issues include:
– Oil drilling and development in Arctic breeding areas
– Disturbance of breeding colonies from human activity
– Climate change affecting nesting habitat
Some conservation actions that could help protect Sabine’s gull populations:
– Protect key breeding sites in the Arctic
– Limit human activity near colonies during nesting season
– Prevent oil spills and drilling runoff in coastal waters near colonies
More surveys and population monitoring are needed, especially across remote nesting areas in Siberia. But the Sabine’s gull remains widespread and has a large range, with no evidence of significant population declines at this point.
Significance to Humans
Sabine’s gull does not have major significance for humans. They are rarely encountered near human settlements or population centers because of their remote Arctic habitat. But they may have some limited cultural importance for indigenous Arctic peoples.
Some ways Sabine’s gulls interact with and matter to people:
– Birdwatchers seek them out during Arctic tours and pelagic birding trips due to their beauty, grace, and rarity. Avid birders value sightings.
– Featured in the folklore and narratives of Inuit and other indigenous groups across the Arctic region of North America and Eurasia.
– Sometimes mistaken for Arctic tern chicks and taken by eggers historically. Egg collecting was destructive practice that affected tern and gull colonies.
– Their sensitivity to disturbance makes them indicator species for Arctic ecosystem health. Declines could signal problems.
Overall, Sabine’s gulls have little direct effect on human activities or culture. But like many seabirds, they play an important role in Arctic food webs and help nutrient cycling from sea to land. Their small population, unique migration, and remote habitat make them a species of conservation interest.
References
BirdLife International 2016. Xema sabini. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22694497A86504247. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22694497A86504247.en
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. (1996). Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona:Lynx Edicions.
Ewins, P. J. (1993). Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini sabini). In A. Poole and F. Gill (Eds.), The Birds of North America. Ithaca, NY: The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Winkler, D. W., Hallinger, K. K., Ardia, D. R., Robertson, R. J., Stutchbury, B. J., & Cohen, R. R. (2011). Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). In A. Poole (Ed.), The Birds of North America. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Conclusion
In summary, Sabine’s gull is a fascinating Arctic breeding species with a circumpolar distribution. Some of its key traits and facts include:
– Named after Irish naturalist Edward Sabine in 1819
– Distinctive black hood and yellow-tipped black bill
– Breeds on marshy Arctic tundra habitats
– Makes epic migrations across oceans to winter at sea
– Aerial insectivore that gracefully hawks flies
– Global population estimated at 50,000-74,000 breeding pairs
– Not globally threatened, but sensitive to disturbance
This unique gull remains a species of conservation interest and one that avid birders cherish spotting due its beauty, rarity, and extreme migrations. Though remote, protecting its Arctic nesting grounds will be key to preserving Sabine’s gulls into the future.