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Larges Sea birds (1 Viewer)

hummingbird2

Well-known member
I have been trying to I.D. a large sea bird in Corpus Christi location.

Wondering where to find photo's of largest birds in that location. It was a bird I fed while feeding Seagulls that scare us to death. Larger than myself, white with black feathers peppered through out wings, a long neck, and its nose indented in. Cousin thought we were just unfamiliar with pelicans, but this wasn't one, it was much larger bird and we feared for our lives. Up on top of a balcony several stories up, it dived out of no where and plucked a hog dog out of my hand, caused me to scream and check to see if hand was still there, lol it was huge.

Is there a way possible to I.D. this bird, or could it be something unknown?
 
AFAIK there aren't really any birds in North America bigger than pelicans, though. In fact, pelicans are among the largest extant birds capable of flight. The bird might've appeared larger than usual because usually one doesn't get that close to them (also, sudden encounters can have that effect, in my experience).
The behaviour still fits a gull best (they are the only seabirds I know of that routinely pirate food from humans, and not just other seabirds), perhaps "just" a young American Herring Gull?
 
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AFAIK there aren't really any birds in North America bigger than pelicans, though. In fact, pelicans are among the largest extant birds capable of flight. The bird might've appeared larger than usual because usually one doesn't get that close to them (also, sudden encounters can have that effect, in my experience).
The behaviour still fits a gull best (they are the only seabirds I know of that routinely pirate food from humans, and not just other seabirds), perhaps "just" a young American Herring Gull?

We were startled, it was all a sudden, but it did have black feathers peppered all through the white ones, not uniformed at all, if you understand that part. It was like a black feather stuck here and there. Weird. Also I felt it was larger than myself, I'm over 5'6, and the others were holding at their hearts plastered against the sliding glass door. We were on the balcony. Scrambling inside my cousin made fun of us, thinking it only a pelican, but I know close up it wasn't the bird you showed me or a pelican. I will know it when i see it again. It was larger than this one bird seen two men hold up that was all one color, looking gray. Forget what it was called. Flamingos are very large, know its nothing like it, but maybe a bird out of location? It's hard when not familiar with large birds, and what you said could be a factor in making a size comparison. Hope to I.D. this bird. Thanks.

I forgot to question you about North America because this was on vacation at Corpus Cristi , TX , which think is South, so maybe there is some other birds you might be able to think of?
 
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AFAIK there aren't really any birds in North America bigger than pelicans, though. In fact, pelicans are among the largest extant birds capable of flight. The bird might've appeared larger than usual because usually one doesn't get that close to them (also, sudden encounters can have that effect, in my experience).
The behaviour still fits a gull best (they are the only seabirds I know of that routinely pirate food from humans, and not just other seabirds), perhaps "just" a young American Herring Gull?

Now I wonder what kind of bird would freaked people out about a Jersey devil, its dark lighting, seems authentic photo, but what could it be with such poor lighting? I've seen some pretty large gray bats around here but none that look like that! Could it be a bird, or kite? I would think the shape more for bat wings, but eyewitnesses say it look to them like a vulture.

http://www.disclose.tv/news/jersey_devil_photographed_by_construction_workers_in_pennsylvania/138373
 
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I wonder if it could have been a wood stork?

It does seem large because of its wing span, but the beak had indents inward from the nose holes, it was mostly all white, except for here and there black feathers through out an otherwise white bird, and a long neck. The birds body seem small here, but I wonder how it would look flying at a dive and taking a hot dog from my hand? Probably still would of startled me it this bird took something out of my hand. I don't remember the full features of the bird in questions beak, only remember seeing the unusual indented nostrils up close.
 
Up on top of a balcony several stories up, it dived out of no where and plucked a hog dog out of my hand, caused me to scream and check to see if hand was still there, lol it was huge.

Not a swan, nor a pelican, nor a wood stork. None of them would fly onto a balcony of a tower block to grab food.

It's a gull, that would do so, but nothing else would.

It's just the shock and surprise of it being right up next to you that makes it so huge in your memory.
 
No, I think Beer-dee is on to something. How about Ostrich? OK they say they're flightless but that's the African ones. Maybe in Texas they're bigger and meaner and have learnt how to fly, or at least climb tall buildings. Of course if it jumped off the top of the building it wouldn't need to fly, it could just reach out that long scrawny neck as it plummeted past and easily snatch an unguarded hot dog from an unsuspecting hand. They're certainly known for their aggression, don't ever look one in the eye. And didn't Johnny Cash himself get into a fight with one once? Damn good omelettes though.
 
Have we eliminated the prospect of a small plane? Couldn't the pilot have stuck out his hand to grab the hot dog? Or by perhaps a drone? I heard that the United States Army is experimenting with their new prototypes to test how well they do on the BBQ Food Snatching Scale.
 
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