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Xema sabini

About: Xema sabini is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 33 publications have been published within this topic receiving 464 citations.

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Molecular data have significantly improved the understanding of gull evolution and allowed the identification of several striking plumage convergences that had obscured the true relationships between gull species until now.
Abstract: We used DNA sequence data of the mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b gene to assess phylogenetic relationships among 32 gull species and two outgroup representatives. We tentatively estimated divergence times from transversional substitutions calibrated against DNA‐DNA hybridization data. Several strongly supported species groups are identified, but the relationships between these species groups and the rooting of the gull tree remain unresolved. Geographical range extension appears as a factor of speciation, but several related, well-differentiated species seem to have evolved within comparatively restricted areas. Some plumage characters used in the past for delimiting species groups appear inappropriate. The dark hooded species, for instance, do not constitute a natural assemblage. Molecular data also allowed the identification of several striking plumage convergences that had obscured the true relationships between gull species until now. For example, the dark tropical gulls analysed here each belong to totally different clades and are independent examples of convergent plumage evolution under common environmental constraints. The reverse situation also happened, with two arctic-distributed species, the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) and the Sabine’s gull (Xema sabini), appearing as sister taxa despite completely different plumage features. Molecular data have thus significantly improved our understanding of gull evolution.

77 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2012-Ibis
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used miniature archival light loggers (geolocators) to track the annual migration of Sabine's Gull Larus sabini, a small (c. 200 g) Arctic-breeding larid.
Abstract: The migrations and winter distributions of most seabirds, particularly small pelagic species, remain poorly understood despite their potential as indicators of marine ecosystem health. Here we report the use of miniature archival light loggers (geolocators) to track the annual migration of Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini, a small (c. 200 g) Arctic-breeding larid. We describe their migratory routes and identify previously unknown staging sites in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as their main Atlantic wintering area in the southern hemisphere. Sabine’s Gulls breeding in northeast Greenland displayed an average annual migration of almost 32 000 km (n = 6), with the longest return journey spanning close to 39 000 km (not including local movements at staging sites or within the wintering area). On their southern migration, they spent an average of 45 days in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Sea, off the coasts of France, Spain and Portugal. They all wintered in closeassociation with the cold waters of the Benguela Upwelling, spending an average of 152 days in that area. On their return north, Sabine’s Gulls staged off the west African coast (Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal), spending on average 19 days at this site. This leg of migration was particularly rapid, birds travelling an average of 813 km⁄ day, assisted by the prevailing winds. Sabine’s Gulls generally followed a similar path on their outbound and return migrations, and did not exhibit the broad figure-of-eight pattern (anti clockwise in the southern hemisphere and clockwise in the northern hemisphere) seen in other trans-equatorial seabirds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

52 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1981-Arctic
TL;DR: The earliest information on Sabine's gull, Ross's gull and Ivory gull was collected by several heroic arctic explorers during the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, and recent data on their food choice and foraging behaviour are reviewed and discussed.
Abstract: The earliest information on Sabine's gull, Ross's gull and Ivory gull was collected by several heroic arctic explorers during the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. Ross's gull was discovered in northern Canada in 1823 by James C. Ross and Sabine's gull in northwestern Greenland in 1818 by Edward Sabine. S.A. Buturlin was the first to find the breeding places of Ross's gull in northeastern Siberia. Recently new breeding places have been reported from U.S.S.R. (Taymyr Peninsula, 1973), Canada (near Devon Island, 1976 and 1978; near Churchill, Manitoba, 1980) and Greenland (Peary Land and Disko Bay, 1979). Sabine's gull and Ivory gull have a dispersed and patchy distribution with gaps too wide for them to be regarded as true continuous circumpolar species. The biotope requirements for the three species are compared. All three are food opportunists; recent data on their food choice and foraging behaviour are reviewed and discussed. The breeding ecology of the gulls is updated with special attention to the clutch size, where a climatological trend may be distinguished. In contrast to birds in general, the most southerly breeding species (Ross's gull) has the largest clutch size and the most northerly breeding species (Ivory gull) has the smallest. Details of the large interspecific differences in migratory and wintering habits are presented. The documented northbound autumn migration of Ross's gull observed in Alaska and the southbound migration of Sabine's gull to western South America and southwestern and southern Africa are surveyed. The Ivory gull is regarded as a straggler during the winter, but recent observations on East Greenland of at least 500 migrating birds in September 1975 indicate that specific migratory routes may be used by this species too.

38 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that some of Sabine's Gull's morphological and behavioural peculiarities may be related to its breeding in small, loose groups rather than in dense colonies, on the flat tundra, and during the short Arctic summer.
Abstract: [Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini is a morphologically aberrant gull, breeding in the Arctic. This paper describes its breeding behaviour, as recorded in the region of Hooper Bay, W. Alaska (61° 35' N, 166° 05' W) in the summer of 1960. The object of this study has been, not just to describe the behaviour, but to try to relate it to the species' ecology, and also, by comparisons with other gulls, to clarify the taxonomic position of Sabine's Gull. Much of Sabine's Gull behaviour is similar to that of other gulls, but there are some aberrancies which occur either rarely or not at all in other species. Chief among these are the Quarter Upright, the emphasis on Hunched, as opposed to Upright, postures, the attraction of unmated females by Arch-and-Bow rather than Long Call, the direct feeding (as opposed to regurgitation) of the female early in the season, the rarity of Head Tossing in courtship feeding and copulation, and the throwback and Crouch in the Long Call postures. Evidently, Sabine's Gull is behaviourally as well as morphologically aberrant. It seems to be most closely related to such species as Franklin's Gull, Larus pipixcan. Contrary to MOYNIHAN'S (1959) suggestion, based on morphological criteria, there is no evidence of any relationship with the Swallowtailed Gull, Creagrus furcatus. The functions of the grey and black hood are discussed. It is also suggested that some of Sabine's Gull's morphological and behavioural peculiarities may be related to its breeding in small, loose groups rather than in dense colonies, on the flat tundra, and during the short Arctic summer. A partial analysis of the motivation of the agonistic and sexual behaviour was also made. The relations of the various agonistic postures to the tendencies to flee and attack are discussed. It is also concluded that the different postures adopted during the loud-calling phase of the Long Call depend on the position of the opponent and not on any motivational differences. The sexual behaviour seems to consist of two relatively independent systems - the Meeting Ceremony and "Luring". The interrelationships of the different patterns in "Luring" are analysed in more detail., Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini is a morphologically aberrant gull, breeding in the Arctic. This paper describes its breeding behaviour, as recorded in the region of Hooper Bay, W. Alaska (61° 35' N, 166° 05' W) in the summer of 1960. The object of this study has been, not just to describe the behaviour, but to try to relate it to the species' ecology, and also, by comparisons with other gulls, to clarify the taxonomic position of Sabine's Gull. Much of Sabine's Gull behaviour is similar to that of other gulls, but there are some aberrancies which occur either rarely or not at all in other species. Chief among these are the Quarter Upright, the emphasis on Hunched, as opposed to Upright, postures, the attraction of unmated females by Arch-and-Bow rather than Long Call, the direct feeding (as opposed to regurgitation) of the female early in the season, the rarity of Head Tossing in courtship feeding and copulation, and the throwback and Crouch in the Long Call postures. Evidently, Sabine's Gull is behaviourally as well as morphologically aberrant. It seems to be most closely related to such species as Franklin's Gull, Larus pipixcan. Contrary to MOYNIHAN'S (1959) suggestion, based on morphological criteria, there is no evidence of any relationship with the Swallowtailed Gull, Creagrus furcatus. The functions of the grey and black hood are discussed. It is also suggested that some of Sabine's Gull's morphological and behavioural peculiarities may be related to its breeding in small, loose groups rather than in dense colonies, on the flat tundra, and during the short Arctic summer. A partial analysis of the motivation of the agonistic and sexual behaviour was also made. The relations of the various agonistic postures to the tendencies to flee and attack are discussed. It is also concluded that the different postures adopted during the loud-calling phase of the Long Call depend on the position of the opponent and not on any motivational differences. The sexual behaviour seems to consist of two relatively independent systems - the Meeting Ceremony and "Luring". The interrelationships of the different patterns in "Luring" are analysed in more detail.]

29 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In response to decoys, Sabine’s gulls responded strongly towards predatory species, compared with a non-predatory species, and response behaviour was highly variable among pairs.
Abstract: Anti-predatory behaviour is widespread among a broad range of animal taxa, including birds. Nest defence is not without risk, however, and parent birds face a trade-off between the survival of their offspring and the risk of injury or mortality to themselves. This study focused on the anti-predator behaviour of the Sabine’s gull (Xema sabini), a ground-nesting, Arctic breeder. Specifically, we quantified the gulls’ behavioural response towards natural predators, a human intruder, experimental predator decoys, and a non-predatory decoy. Neither the distance at which nesting Sabine’s gulls first reacted to natural predators, nor the relative intensity of their response, differed with incubation stage or predator type. However, response behaviour was highly variable among pairs. In response to decoys, Sabine’s gulls responded strongly towards predatory species, compared with a non-predatory species. The distance at which they first swooped at a human intruder was also variable, and there was no seasonal trend. Sabine’s gulls were often joined in nest defence by conspecifics, Arctic terns, and shorebirds nesting nearby, although the number of conspecifics involved in attacks was not related to the proximity of neighbouring nests.

27 citations

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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20201
20191
20181
20171
20164
20151