Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea), Colorado River 4 miles south of Willow Beach, Mohave County

This Ivory Gull was discovered and photographed by Dale Suter on 30 December 2012.  Dale writes "Observers include my wife, 2 persons on our boat with us and myself. Bird spotted on a small sand bar 4 miles south of Willow Beach AZ, by the Monkey Hole, about 0.2 miles south of Big Horn Cove on the AZ side. Bird had a broken wing as noted in the pictures." 

These photos were received more than 2 weeks after the sighting.  The bird was probably mortally injured with a severely broken and twisted right wing, perhaps suffered by flying into nearby power lines, and likely did not survive for much longer after these photos were obtained. 

The Monkey Hole can be found by typing these coordinates into the search box of Google Maps: 35.835785, -114.700209.  Big Horn Cove is found a little further downriver at these coordinates: 35.830923,-114.695744.  If you look closely on satellite view at Big Horn Cove you will see the power lines crossing the river here that might have been the source of the bird's injury.  The bird was found only a little ways downriver from the power lines. 

No previous state records and only a handful of records in western states.  There appear to be records from California (2), Colorado, Washington and Montana.  The California records were both from southern California and there was a record of a sick bird that died in Georgia a few years ago, so its occurrence this far south is not unprecedented.  Still one of the most unexpected and extraordinary bird records in Arizona birding history. 

Unmistakable in all plumages.  This first cycle bird has white plumage spotted with black, a dark bill with a greenish yellow tip and a dark throat patch, features shared by no other gull. 

30 December 2012, photo by Dale Suter

All photos are copyrighted© by photographer