Californian Birds (1 Viewer)

Cillana

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #1

A non-birder posted these pics on an aquarium forum after a trip to California. I took a stab at IDing them. Practice for one day when I may visit the west coast. :t:

Photo 1 (CAbird1.jpg): Black Phoebe
Photo 2 (CAbird2.jpg): juv Red-tailed Hawk
Photo 3 (CAbird5.jpg): Heermann's Gull
Photo 4 (CAbird4.jpg): 2nd year Thayer's Gull
Photo 5 (CAbird3.jpg): juv Mew Gull in center, adult Herring Gulls surrounding

 

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Last edited: Aug 23, 2006

Cillana

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #2

Here's another pic of the last group. It's just barely different, but might as well put it since I have it.

 

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jcwings

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #3

1 through 3 are correct. Number 4 I would call a second year California Gull (?), and number 5 is a 1st year Heermann's Gull.

 

Cillana

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #4

jcwings said:

1 through 3 are correct. Number 4 I would call a second year California Gull (?), and number 5 is a 1st year Heermann's Gull.

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate as to why you came to these conclusions?

 

tyrannulet

Deranged but fun...

• Aug 23, 2006

• #5

#5 is hermann's because of dark overall coloring and is a lot smaller then the surrounding gulls

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Aug 23, 2006

• #6

i'd call no4 2cy california gull either on that little bill with black tip. plumage is totally messy. and the adult gulls surrounding the juv heermann's are westerns imo.

 

Cillana

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #7

tyrannulet said:

#5 is hermann's because of dark overall coloring and is a lot smaller then the surrounding gulls

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Thanks. Found a pic of a juvenile Mew Gull and I can see that it's definately not it. I was just going by a description before.

 

Gentoo

Guest

• Aug 23, 2006

• #8

The gulls serounding Heerman's in pic number 4 are Western Gulls.

 

JANJ

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #9

Cillana,
take a look at these Heermann´s Gulls:

http://www.pbase.com/jpkln/heermannsgull

Agree on the other ID:s, and an even more worn 2cy California Gull here:

http://www.pbase.com/jpkln/image/51838354

JanJ

 

Cillana

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2006

• #10

My first thought was Western for the surrounding birds in #5, but then I thought the darkness of the photo was fooling me into thinking the mantle was darker so I changed my mind to Herring. Is there any other way to tell them apart?

I thought Thayer's on #4 because I thought it was moulting from brown primaries to black primaries. But now I see they are really worn and just faded to brown.

Thanks.

 

Gentoo

Guest

• Aug 23, 2006

• #11

Cillana said:

My first thought was Western for the surrounding birds in #5, but then I thought the darkness of the photo was fooling me into thinking the mantle was darker so I changed my mind to Herring. Is there any other way to tell them apart?

I thought Thayer's on #4 because I thought it was moulting from brown primaries to black primaries. But now I see they are really worn and just faded to brown.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

That mantel shade in the photo is almost perfect for Western actually. Also This photo I believe was taken in the summer when Herring Gulls do not occur in California. The overall bulk, bill shape and if you see them in "person", agreesiveness can distiguish them as well. Westerns are meaner. Then there's the long call display which is actually really helpful at identifying them when you see them. Unlike Herring, Western lacks the mewing introductory squeals, consistant only of rapid notes and as Sibley mentions, they are more clipped and less two sylabled sounding. Also the head is never pointed up when calling. Western brings head up to an almost upright standing position. This particular pattern is shared only by it's three closest relatives, Yellow-Footed, Glaucous-Winged and Slaty-Backed Gulls.

At some point I will try to take some video of Western Gulls calling as this long call display can be very usefull for identification.