Local Seagulls Winter/ spring 2000

 

Summary: Using CBC identified local species and numbers I look at gull taxonomy in general and then treat each species individually giving current links to relevant sites.

 

Prince Rupert’s Christmas Bird Count

 

 

Masset’s

 

 

 

GULLS -- GENERAL on “gulliphiles” and “gulleries”

“While everyone recognizes a sea gull – few non-birders recognize how complex the subject is” says a site from Monterey Bay California. Larger gull species change plumage wardrobe design every year until they reach adulthood (age four) and there are throw in two molts a year. (His gull page conveys some of that complexity without going that way himself.)

Here is another somewhat bemused viewer of the current scene (‘I only want to go with the flow, not impose my ideas on the reader’).

 

But be warned--- others say most Pacific North American gulls are “hybrids” which to me translates into the species concept is suspect.

 

For entry level identifications see the US government site 

 

But if you are more intrigued by the latest concepts (fads?) in gull taxonomy or really interested in sorting out all those plumages into meaningful gull monikers try either of these two sites:

 

 

And another interesting, but less technical site with good photography---- see the “Gullery” images from the Yukon. 

 

 

Glaucous-winged gull Larus glaucescens

Identification-----“The seagull” of coastal BC

Pink legs and no black in wing tips/ tail see here more ID

: (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

 

See Steve Hampton Glaucous Winged Gull page for global distribution map, plus a table (with illustrating picture links) showing characters of 3 sub-adult plumages etc. And here is a US 48 + Alaska distribution map

 

The Royal BC Museum has scanned in relevant parts from Birds of British Columbia; text is dry but relevant. Distribution map good

 

All show the breeding range is centered in coastal BC and Alaska.

 

Here is good photograph comparing Glaucous Winged and Thayer gulls (note the contrasting leg colors etc.)—the site is by another Gull expert: Martin Reid.

 

Herring gull Larus smithsonianus

Identification

: (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

Larger “pinkish” legged gull with black wing tips---

Taxonomic fashions vary over time: from lumping all northern hemisphere “herring gulls” into a single species with many sub-species to treating each as separate. The latter is in vogue currently. Thus “smithsonius” is now considered distinct from European “argentatus”

Similar species:

Adult Herring Gulls are similar to California Gulls but are larger, have pinkish legs, a yellow iris, paler backs, etc.

Others see a wide spectrum with larger ‘fiercer looking’, yellow eyed Herring gulls thru mid sized, smaller billed brown eyed Thayers, to light grey smallish Icelands. This is further compounded by “hybrids between any and all at edges of ranges.

US Distribution and abundance – see I-bird.com

 

Here is nice intro ---- seeing Herring gull as prototype for “Livingstone Seagull”.

 

Canadian series Hinterlands who’s who:

 

 

A detailed taxonomic table describing how diagnostic characters change with age

Here is Hampton’s main page-- http://www.west.net/~dj/gulls.htm

 

Reid’s site uses distinction between European and North American “Herring Gull” treated as full species

Thayer's gull Larus thayeri

Identification Tips:

: (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

• Darker grey, blackish wing tips 
• Rounded head
• Brown eyed

Similar species:

Thayer's Gulls are quite difficult to identify. Their plumage is between that of Herring Gull and Iceland Gull. They have the rounded head and slim bill of the Iceland Gull but the darker plumage of the Herring Gull. As adults, they can be told from both Iceland and Herring Gulls by their dark eyes.

 

Hampton has good figure for distribution range

 

Reid--- has a whole page of links to images

See his Thayer Gull compared to Californicus---

 

 

Martin Garner and Anthony McGeehan (1998) Identification of juvenile and first-winter Thayer's Gull. Birding World 11(3): p94-101

 

California gull Larus californicus

Identification Tips:

Adult alternate:

• Bright yellow bill with complete black ring distal to red spot at gonys
• Bright yellow legs
• Brown eye
• Black primaries with white tips and two white mirrors on outer primaries

Similar species: (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

Adult Herring Gulls are similar to California Gulls but are larger, have pinkish legs, a yellow iris, paler backs, and a slightly thicker yellow bill with a more pronounced gonys. ----Immature birds are probably best separated by the subtleties of size, shape and bill shape. Some subadult Herring Gulls can have both a red spot and black ring on the bill, as well as yellowish or gray legs, so identify such birds with caution. US Distribution

 

Here is Hampton’s year class table of how characters change with aging.

 

And here is from Martin Reid’s contribution

Mew gull Larus canus

Identification Tips: :---- (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

• Sexes similar
• Medium-sized gull
• Fairly short, small bill with indistinct gonydeal angle

AK and US Abundance/ range Abundance--

Here is Hamilton’s page on Mew

Here is the RBCM (note says Mew gull breeds as far North as Prince Rupert area) and Distribution

 

Bonaparte's gull Larus philadelphia

 

Identification Tips: ---- : (from- Patuxent Identification Center)

• Small, tern-like gull
• Short, thin, black bill
• Adult plumage reached in second year

RBCM account and Distribution for BC’s Bonaparte gull.