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A decade or two ago some big yellow grossbeaks came down here in winter and news articles said an extra bad winter had driven them south. Not this time.

As an inhabitant of Arctic ice flows and snow fields, the Ivory Gull endures some of the harshest conditions on the planet.

Appearance: The adult Ivory Gull is an immaculate white with coal black eyes and feet. The pale gray bill is tipped with pale yellow. The sexes appear the same. These medium-sized gulls grow to 17 inches long and weigh 1.4 pounds with a 37-inch wingspan.

Range & Distribution: The North American breeding range of the Ivory Gull is restricted to a few sites in Arctic Canada. One population of these gulls winters just south of Greenland in the Labrador Sea. Another population winters in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Ivory Gulls concentrate where the ice meets the sea and at openings surrounded by sea ice called polynyas. Otherwise, the Ivory Gull breeds and winters at select locations around the Arctic Circle.

Habitat: Always on or near the seam between ice and water, this seabird breeds in a variety of habitats: coastal cliffs, sometimes as far as 18 miles inland and as high as 3,000 feet; rocky mounds; flat, gravely fields; and even recently calved icebergs covered with rock and dirt. Polynyas, ice flows, and the edges of sea ice are vital at all times of the year. Pack ice is favored in deep winter. Snow and soft ice are both used by the Ivory Gull for digging roost holes, providing shelter from the cold Arctic winds.