The sabine's gull Xema sabini - a new breeding species of the sever-Naya Zemlya archipelago

A pair of Sabine's gulls Xema sabini with nest was observed on Zemlyanoy Cape, Schmidt Island, Severnaya Zemlya during brief visit on 18.07.2019. The nest contained three eggs, and one was pipping. This is the first evidence of the Sabine's gull breeding in Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, while a pair of this species in breeding plumage has been recorded here in August 2007, but no nest was found. This is the northern-most breeding record within the Russian part of the species range isolated from the nearest breeding area in North Taimyr by some 500 km. This record along with recent finding of a nest on Bely Island, North Yamal (Dmitriev et al . 2015) fill the gap in the circumpolar breeding distribution range of the Sabine's gull.