January 2024 Quiz

 

January. Oregon.

Age: This large white-headed gull shows an overall adult aspect, but with noticeable tail markings, brownish-gray wash across the upperwing, streaked primary coverts and an all-dark bill tip, suggesting a 3rd cycle type.

Identification: This is a broad-winged bird with a fairly short hand. The robust bill and large powerful body point to a bulky taxon, ruling out smaller and slimmer taxa found in the West. Given the location, Western and Glaucous-winged Gull should come to mind. The gray upperparts seem too dark for Glaucous-winged, but may fit a paler northern occidentalis Western. However, the outer primaries show a distinctive grayish coloration, and not the jet black expected in Western. This wingtip pattern and color fits perfectly for a Western x Glaucous-winged hybrid, however, and that's what our January Quiz bird was identified as in the field.