June 2024 Quiz

 

May. Wisconsin.

Age: The dark tertials and dark wing panel, coupled with adult-like scapulars and dark ear spot suggest a 1st cycle type small gull. 

Identification: Given the time of year, this should be a one-year old tern-like gull based on the overall size, white body and dark ear spot. Important here is the white wedge seen on the base of the primaries, just below the tertials. This points directly to Bonaparte's and Black-headed, although the leg color suggests the former. Little Gull might be suspected based on the extraordinarily dark wing coverts (partly due to lighting). That species shows a saw-tooth black-to-white pattern on the folded primaries, with black on the outer webs and white on the inner half. Below is our May Quiz bird, sporting an all-black bill and thin tail band -- a 1st cycle Bonaparte's Gull showing a somewhat darker than average wing panel.

May 2024 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

1. Common Gull (adult). Baraga County, Michigan. 02 May 2024.
• Apparent 1ST STATE RECORD.
2. Slaty-backed Gull (adult type). Le Rocher-Perce County, Quebec. 07 May 2024.
3. Ross's Gull (1st cycle). St. Paul Island. Alaska. 23 May 2024.
4. Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Baraga County, Michigan. 26 May 2024.
• 1st Record for Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 
5. Black-tailed Gull (adult). Lake County, Illinois. 29 May 2024.
• 3rd State Record.

Notes:

• A putative Short-billed x Ring-billed (female) hybrid was found with a Short-billed Gull (male) in Fairbanks, Alaska on 07 May 2024. Initially reported by Josh Spice and subsequently seen by others. The two adults appeared to be paired up (no nest reported) and were observed billing and copulating. The hybrid is closely tending toward Ring-billed, but with a tapered bill tip showing a noticeably thin black ring, and broader than expected white tertial crescent. In addition to location, another supporting feature for a hybrid, which isn't conclusive in the images, is an apparent dusky iris (not clear yellow). The observer noted a Ring-billed quality to its voice. Photos on eBird can be found here and here.
  
  
• An apparent May high count of 38 Iceland Gulls for the Great Lakes region, and likely the entire interior, was reported on 04 May 2024 by Woody Goss in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. A minimum of 23 first cycle types, 7 second cycle, 4 third cycle and 4 adults were recorded. The observer noted there could have been more 1st cycle types. This site typically sees 1-3 Iceland Gulls summering here most years.

May 2024 Quiz

 

England. December.

Age: 1st cycle.

Identification: Our May Quiz looks like a four-cycle species, with a noticeable old-world tail pattern. Observers in North America would expect a Lesser Black-backed to approach this look, but the heavily barred/checkered greater coverts and pale inner primary window point away from that species. Might this be a Great Black-backed? Size and structure, particularly the small head and proportionally small bill, among other things, are wrong for that species.

Given the location, the overall dilute brown upperparts look typical of European Herring Gull, and indeed the dark subterminal spots on the inner primaries, with adjacent white capsules on the outer webs, look "spot on" for that species. 

April 2024 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

1. Black-headed Gull (adult). Contra Costa County, California. 01 April 2024.
2. Short-billed Gull (1st cycle). Roberts County, South Dakota. 14 April 2024.
3. Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Marquette County, Michigan.16 April 2024.
4. Western Gull (adult type). Washington County, Utah. 18 April 2024. 
5. Great Black-backed Gull (subadult). Mobile County, Alabama. 21 April 2024.
6. Yellow-footed Gull (adult type). Los Angeles County, California. 21 April 2024.
7. Gray Gull (3rd cycle type). Baldwin County, Alabama. 23 April 2024.
• Continuing 1st ABA Record.
8. Little Gull (1st cycle). Del Norte County, California. 23 April 2024.
• 3rd County Record.
9. Swallow-tailed Gull (adult). San Francisco County, California. 25 April 2024.
• 2nd County Record.
10. Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Cameron Parish, Louisiana. 25 April 2024.

Notes:

1. The Swallow-tailed Gull from San Francisco County was found on Southeast Farallon Island -- a first island record. As all other records in the ABA Area, it was sporting a dark hood in alternate plumage. Active tail and innermost secondary molt.
2. On 20 April 2024, Woody Goss reported 2 putative Kelp x Herring hybrids from Galveston County, Texas (adult and 3rd cycle type). Both in breeding condition with alternate head patterns but showing the expected grayish-yellow leg color of many Kelps. Neither had started flight feather molt. The 3rd cycle type was the more classic of the two with blob-tipped bill, blocky head and longish legs. It displayed the expected small, squarish p10 mirror set well back from the feather tip and long hand in flight. The adult type was slighter and could easily be passed off as a Lesser Black-backed, structurally, but showed too much gray (not black) on the underside of the wingtip, and noticeably large p7 pearl. Hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herrings average less black on p8 (particularly the inner web), and don't typically show this dull leg color. 

April 2024 Quiz

 

California. January.

Age: 1st cycle in what appears to be complete juvenile plumage.

Identification: This juvenile is clearly a member of the large white-headed gulls (as opposed to smaller tern-like or hooded gulls). Some Slaty-backed Gulls can approach this look, especially the plain pattern to the greater coverts, paired with pale bases to the median coverts showing pointy dark tips. However, the massively thick bill, large head with proportionally small eye placed high on the face, call to mind Western and Glaucous-winged. The primaries are too dark for Glaucous-winged and too pale for Western (which doesn't show this extensive pale edging). The neatly pattern coverts (which we've noted can be found in Slaty-backed at this age) are also expected in hybrid Western x Glaucous-winged, which is what this individual was identified as. Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull is another taxon to consider, which often shows a slighter, Herring-like build, averages a thinner bill and streakier head at this date.

March 2024 Quiz

Illinois. October.

Age: The overall plumage aspects of the two big brown jobs suggest 1st cycle. The center bird is an adult-type.

Identification: The adult in the center is a Ring-billed, with what appears to be a chunkier and slightly larger 1st cycle on the left and a slightly smaller gull on the right.

Note the darker brown centers to the upperparts on the individual on the right, showing broader and more consistent pale fringes. The bill appears thinner and jet black, with paler vent region. This is a 1st cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull in complete juvenile plumage. The individual on the left has a deeper chest, a weaker pattern to the coverts and what appear to be replaced juvenile scapulars. It falls squarely in the mold of a 1st cycle American Herring Gull. 

March 2024 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

1. Kamchatka Gull (adult). Fairfield County, Connecticut. 01 March 2024.
• Last sighting of the winter season. 
2. Thayer's Gull (adult). Virginia Beach County, Virginia. 03 March 2024.
3. Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Cape May County, New Jersey. 04 March 2024.
4. GRAY GULL* (3rd cycle type). Baldwin County, Alabama. 14 March 2024.
• Plumage sequence suggests same individual from Walton County, FL, last seen on 03 December 2023.
5. Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Cowlitz County, Washington. 08 March 2024.
6. Vega Gull (adult). San Mateo County, California. 10 March 2024.
7. Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Multnomah County, Oregon. 11 March 2024.
• Same individual from Cowlitz County, WA; also seen in Clark on 12 March 2024.
8. Ivory Gull (adult). North Slope Borough, Alaska. 11 March 2024.
9. Little Gull (adult). Starr County, Texas. 17 March 2024.
10. Common Gull (adult). Windham County, Connecticut. 20 March 2024.
11. Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). North Okanagan District, British Columbia. 22 March 2024.
• Continuing since December 2023.
12. Vega Gull (adult). Tompkins County, New York. 23 March 2024.
• Likely an individual first detected in this region in mid-December 2023.
13. Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. 25 March 2024.
14. Black-headed Gull (adult). Contra Costa County, California. 26 March 2024.
15. Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Alberni-Clayoquot District, British Columbia. 26 March 2024.

Notes:

 

* The Florida-Alabama Gray Gull was relocated in Baldwin County, Alabama on 14 March 2024 and continues through 31 March 2024. It appears to be undergoing a 3rd prealternate molt with fresh scapulars and a paling gray head. It is safe to say this bird has adjusted to a boreal molt schedule and should be sporting an all-pale hood in the next few weeks.