How do you identify a western gull?

How do I identify gulls?

By familiarizing yourself with the key field-marks and habits that separate each gull species from another, you will eventually be able to identify the majority of gulls that you encounter in the field. It’s easiest to start with the adults, so use the photographs and descriptions in this guide to get started!

What does a second winter Gull look like?

Second-winter Western Gulls have a slaty gray back and light brown mottled wings. The underparts and head are mostly white. Second winter. Second-winter birds have a mostly white head and underparts with slaty gray feathers coming in on the back and light brown wings.

What does a second year herring gull look like?

Juveniles are mottled brown; second-year birds are brown but show gray on the back. Third-years have more gray on the back and more white on the head and underparts. The legs are dull pink at all ages. Herring Gulls patrol shorelines and open ocean, picking scraps off the surface.

What does a gull look like in the first winter?

This gull has brown on its wings. That’s a sure sign that it isn’t an adult. And since it’s now November, and wintertime, this bird has to be a First Winter, because this time next year it will be an adult, and look like the bird below.

What is the difference between a Thayer’s gull and an Iceland gull?

Adults often show a distinct primary pattern, making them unlikely to be confused with Iceland Gull – indeed, more heavily marked individuals than this may be closer to Thayer’s Gull. Note also the dark iris in this bird – in adult Iceland it is typically pale yellow, contributing to a different facial expression.

What does a non breeding Seagull look like?

Nonbreeding adults have extensive tan streaking on their neck. Note the pale gray upperparts and the pale eye. Fairly large gull with a thick bill, pale eye, light-gray back and wings, and black wingtips. Third winter birds start to acquire pale gray feathers on their back, but still have extensive tan streaking on their head and neck.

What does a 2nd winter Gull look like?

The second winter gull is heavily streaked throughout with a few gray back feathers coming in. Note dark primaries, lacking white tips. Some second winter birds have less streaking on their necks and look very pale overall, but note its pale eye and pink legs.

What kind of Bill does a juvenile herring gull have?

Juvenile Herring Gulls have a black bill and black legs. They have brown body plumage with brown primary and secondary feathers which give them a “dusky” appearance. The bill of a second-year gull is pinkish but still has a black tip.

What is the difference between a common and herring gull?

The common gull looks like a small, gentler version of the herring gull, with greenish legs and a yellow bill. Despite its name, it is not at all common in most inland areas, though it can be abundant on the coast and in some eastern counties. They are now seen more often in towns and on housing estates in winter.

What is the difference between Iceland and Kumlien’s Gulls?

To give a sense of how confusing these gulls can be, Thayer’s was at one time thought to belong to a completely different species, the Herring Gull. The main difference between the Iceland, Kumlien’s, and Thayer’s subspecies lies in how dark the wingtips are in adults.

How can you tell the difference between a Thayer and a gull?

On the West Coast, look for the Thayer’s form: a bit smaller than a Herring Gull, with a more slender bill, heavily smudged neck, and sometimes a dark eye. Iceland Gulls nest in the remote Arctic, on forbidding cliffs overlooking fjords.

Are there different species of Iceland gulls?

The Iceland Gull has been a headache for taxonomists. It is divided into three subspecies, one of which (Thayer’s Gull) was considered a separate species until 2017.

What does a gull look like in the winter?

Highly variable gull. Pale first winter birds have tan streaking or spotting throughout. Note whitish wingtips that extend beyond tail when resting. Color of first-winter birds varies from milk chocolate to pale brown with spotting on the back and wings.

Why are most seagulls black and white?

The wingtips of most species are black, which improves their resistance to wear and tear, usually with a diagnostic pattern of white markings. The head of a gull may be covered by a dark hood or be entirely white.

What does a Mediterranean gull look like?

Everything about it screams “Mediterranean Gull” (the bruise on the head, the thick blobby bill, the white wing-tips and the long, very dark red legs). But what’s that dark mark on the wing just before the tip?

Can herring gulls help identify other species?

Once you know this fairly common species, they can help you identify other gull species. The Herring Gull has extended its breeding range southward along the Atlantic Coast, and may be displacing the more southern Laughing Gull from some areas.

What does it mean when a gull opens its bill?

In hot sun, gulls and other birds open their bills and pant to cool off. Second winter gulls have a gray wash on their neck and chest with darker gray smudging on the head. This bird’s crouching posture while running with partially spread wings is a display intended to signal aggression or to claim ownership of a space.

Are all Iceland gulls pale-winged?

Not every Iceland Gull is as pale-winged as the field guides show, while at the other extreme some Kumlien’s Gulls have very pale wing-tips indeed.

Is this Kumlien’s gull from Iceland?

21 Adult Iceland or Kumlien’s Gull (Grindavik, Iceland, 23 March 2010). This individual demonstrates that, even with good views, some birds may have to be left unidentified. It has pale wing-tips and a dark iris, but Iceland Gulls breeding in Greenland are always thought to have pale irides; identification is therefore problematic.

What is the difference between Iceland and Kumlien’s?

The “Iceland” form breeds in Greenland and winters mainly in the North Atlantic (including Iceland). It has very pale to completely white wingtips. The “Kumlien’s” subspecies is the form most commonly seen in winter on the East Coast of North America. Its wingtips vary from nearly white to gray.

What colors do seagulls see?

Seagulls see more colors than a human can because the human eye has three cones that detect red, green and blue. By contrast, the seagull eye has four cones. The fourth cone allows seagulls to see infrared color, which humans cannot see. Because of this difference, the male seagulls appear much brighter, and the female seagulls seem to be dull.

What birds can you see in Iceland?

Seabirds can also be found in large numbers around Iceland, many species of Gulls and Blackbirds along with large bird cliffs. Iceland is also the perfect place to see the puffin a very popular bird in Iceland among bird watchers and photographers.

Where can I see Iceland gulls in winter?

The darker-winged “Thayer’s” gull of the west used to be considered a different species; the two were lumped in 2017. Gull watching takes patience, but it can be rewarding. Unless you plan to explore the Arctic, you’ll want to look for Iceland Gulls in winter along Atlantic or Pacific coasts or around the Great Lakes.

Is the Iceland gull a separate species?

The Iceland Gull has been a headache for taxonomists. It is divided into three subspecies, one of which (Thayer’s Gull) was considered a separate species until 2017. To give a sense of how confusing these gulls can be, Thayer’s was at one time thought to belong to a completely different species, the Herring Gull.

What does a seagull see when it looks at the sky?

When a seagull looks at the sky, it does not see the color blue like we do, it sees a violet sky. Birds in general see more colors than humans do. We can look at a gull and not be able to tell if it is a male or a female. A gull however, sees more coloring in a male gull, and the difference between male and female is obvious to them.

How can you tell if a seagull is a male or female?

We can look at a gull and not be able to tell if it is a male or a female. A gull however, sees more coloring in a male gull, and the difference between male and female is obvious to them. Question 13 How intelligent are seagulls?