July 2015 Quiz

Age: The wing coverts have a plain but marbled pattern, pointing away from a first cycle gull. The tertial tips also show relatively broad pale tips with a similar marbling effect - this all points away from a first cycle.

Monthly Notables July 2015

July 2015 Notables

• Mew Gull (apparent 3rd cycle type). San Francisco County, CA. 01 July 2015. Continuing from late May.
• Little Gull (1st summer). Dane County, WI. 01 July 2015. Continuing.
• Little Gull (1st summer). King County, CA. 01 July 2015. Continuing.
• Glaucous Gull (2nd summer). Manitowoc County, WI. 06 July 2015. Continuing. 
• Chandeleur Gulls (Kelp x Herring hybrids, 20+). St. Bernard County, LA. 08 July 2015.
• By far the most exciting news in the ABA area this month. A small team of surveyors from LSU found multiple adult and sub-adult putative hybrids on Chandeleur Island on 08 July, and then again on 10 July 2015. Per Dan O'Malley, 3 nests were found (one empty, one with two eggs, and one with one chick being protected by adult-type hybrids). Hybrids from this island have not been reported post-Hurricane Katrina. More on the history of this hybridization event can be found here. Access to the island is restricted.

June 2015 Quiz

The theme this month is dark-backed species that are worn and molting. The appearance of these birds suggests it's Summer season.

Beginning with the hooded gulls, the 3 in front are all Laughing Gulls (longer, drooping bills, thinner eye crescents and little to no white on the primary tips). Franklin's is typically shorter-legged with body structure that's more compact. There's no reason not to label the 4th hooded gull in the back (facing away) a Laughing Gull either.

Now for the larger two non-hooded species. The medium-sized gull with the heavily streaked head to the right is a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The legs do not appear to be the mustard-yellow that's expected on this species, but this is age-related. Sub-adult Lessers commonly show pinkish leg color and retarded bill patterns, sometimes with extensive black, like this individual. The fine vertical head streaking is also unique to Lesser Black-backed when considering black-backed species in North America.

The larger gull to the left is the largest species we have: Great Black-backed Gull. Its jet-black upperparts, pinkish legs and overall large body size can't be mistaken for much else. Great Black-backeds tend to keep mostly white heads almost year-round in North America.

This photograph was taken in Cape May, New Jersey - 06 August 2012.

Monthly Notables June 2015

June is a good month to find lingering gulls that would have otherwise moved north or offshore. You'll notice most of the highlights for this month are 1-2 year-olds.

• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle - continuing). New Hanover County, NC. 01 June 2015.
• Thayer's Gull (2nd cycle ). Marquette County, MI. 04 June 2015.
• Little Gull (1st cycle). Lake County, IL. 06 June 2015.
• Glaucous Gull (1st cyclce). Niagara County, NY. 06 June 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (180 - almost all 1st cycle). Barnstable County, MA. 06 June 2015.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). St. Paul Island, AK. 07 June 2015.
• Kamchatka Gull (1st cycle). St. Paul Island, AK. 07 June 2015.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Mobile County, AL. 14 June 2015.
• This individual was sighted on Dauphin Island on three different days. Any black-backed species here should be closely scrutinized and documented with photos.
• Sabine's Gull (2nd cycle type). Queens County, NY. 18 June 2015.
• Iceland Gull (1st cycle). Manitowoc County, WI. 19 June 2015.
• Great Black-backed Gull (1st cycle). Burleigh County, ND. 20 June 2015.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Monroe County, MI. 22 June 2015.
• Presumably the same individual sighted here, on-and-off, in April.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Deewatin County, Nunavut, Canada. 22 June 2015.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycles - 4). Pacific County, WA. 22 June 2015.
• Franklin's Gull (1st cycle type). Humboldt County, CA. 29 June 2015.

May 2015 Quiz

There were lots of answers submitted this month, ranging from Herring Gull to Iceland Gull. First things first, age: this is a pretty obvious 1st cycle with nearly complete juvenile plumes.

The pale edging to the primaries, as well as the color of the primaries (brown not blackish) rules out Herring Gull. Although this bird superficially resembles a Thayer's Gull, the drooping secondary skirt, heavier bill and higher eye placement push me towards a Glaucous-winged Gull. The wing coverts on this species are a bit more solidly filled than most similar-aged Thayer's. The scaps and overall plumage aspect also have a muddier look when compared to Thayer's. Of course if there were other species around to compare it to, one would use size and structure to help clue them in.

This Glaucous-winged Gull was photographed in the Seattle, Washington area in January. Some birds, like this individual, take on a very chocolaty plumage, making it appear similar to a Glaucous-winged x Western hybrid (so-called Puget Sound or Olympic Gull). Those birds tend to have more beady eyes, higher eye placement and more bulbous-tipped bills.

Monthly Notables May 2015

May 2015

• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Wayne County, Michigan.02 May 2015.
• Michigan state has earned the "Slaty-backed Crown" of the interior. I can't think of any other state outside of California and Alaska where this species has been recorded with such frequency in the last couple of years.
• Franklin's Gulls (4 adults). Hawaii County, Hawaii. 03 May 2015.
• Laughing Gull (adult). San Mateo County, California. 04 May 2015.
• Thayer's Gull (1st cycle). Valley County, Montana. 04 May 2015.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult - continuing). Pierce County, Washington. 06 May 2015.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Point Pelee, Ontario. 12 May 2015.
• Great Black-backed Gulls (7). Lake County, Indiana. 17 May 2015.
• May high count for Indiana.
• Kelp Gull (adult type). San Mateo County, California. 20 May 2015.
• First state record. Presumably, this same individual was relocated on the Farallon Islands on 24 May 2015.
• Laughing x Ring-billed Hybrid (adults - 2). Cook County, Illinois. 22, 24 May 2015.
• Seen two days apart - photos confirm two different individuals. 
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Kings County, New York. 24 May 2015.
• Perhaps the most intriguing highlight this month is a video by Issac Grant that documents this adult Franklin's Gull mounting, and copulating with, an adult Laughing Gull.
• Black-headed Gull (1st cycle). Monroe County, Michigan. 29 May 2015.
• Laughing Gull (2 adult types). Manitowoc, Wisconsin. 31 May 2015.

April 2015 Quiz

It's known that 1st cycle gulls typically show pointed primary tips, while older gulls display more rounded tips to the primaries. Looking at this bird's primaries, it seems they are rounded, but overall the plumage appears to be that of a 1st cycle gull. The caveat here is that the apparent shape of the primary tips can change with the bird's posture, behavior, and even the angle at which we observe these feathers. This is indeed a first cycle gull, but what species?

Proportionally, the body-to-head and body-to-tail size seem to rule out a large species (such as Herring, etc.). The barred tail, brown and white wing coverts, and mostly white neck narrow this down to Ring-billed Gull or Mew Gull. This next photo should help:

Notice how the tips to the primaries appear more pointy now. But much more importantly, notice the pale edging surrounding the primary tips - a very "Mew-like" feature. This neat, white-winger-like edging is rarely as extensive in Ring-billed (see a typical 1st cycle Ring-billed example here). Additionally, the petite bill, domed head, smudgy hind-neck markings, and relatively dark gray 2nd generation scapulars all add up to a 1st cycle Mew Gull. There are several other field marks that help eliminate Ring-billed, but the description I've provided here should suffice. This Mew Gull was photographed in Seattle, Washington in January 2010.