October 2025 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Little Gull (adult). Lyman County, South Dakota. 03 October 2025.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). North Slope Borough, Alaska. 07 October 2025.
• California Gull (adult). Berrien County, Michigan. 10 October 2025.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Grant County, Washington. 12 October 2025.
• Continuing.
• Great Black-backed Gull (adult type). Keith County, Nebraska. 13 October 2025.
• Continuing.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Stafford County, Kansas. 13 October 2025.
• Largely juvenile.
• Common Gull (adult). Knox County, Maine. 14 October 2025.
• California Gull (4th cycle type). Cape May County, New Jersey. 14 October 2025.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult type). King County, Washington. 15 October 2025.
• Present since June 2024.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Sitka City & Borough, Alaska. 16 October 2025.
• California Gull (adult). St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador. 17 October 2025.
• A long overdue 1ST PROVINCE RECORD.
• Gray Gull (adult type). Walton County, Florida. 27 October 2025.
• Positive reports all month.
• Short-billed Gull (adult). Clay County, Missouri. 29 October 2025.
• 4th State Record.

Featured Highlights November 2025

Welcome to Featured Highlights, November 2025. This video series aims to highlight ideas found in The Gull Guide - North America. I'll be expanding on and detailing concepts you're reading about in the book, beginning with establishing a foundation for molt and plumage, and hopefully apply some of these ideas to identification. 

An obvious element of gull ID rests in how we perceive and describe the varied patterns found in their plumages, particularly their upperparts. This is not unique to gulls, but it seems to weigh on beginners as they familiarize themselves with the creative words used in the literature. Video 11 discusses some of the patterns that we find on the scapulars, wing coverts and tertials of young, large-whited gulls in 1st cycle.

Click on thumbnail above and watch in HD

Requests and Suggestions to thegullguide@gmail.com