Gull i.d. please (1 Viewer)

H

helenol

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2004

• #1

This was taken Nov '98 at Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA. (The day before the wharf was destroyed by fire).

i.d. please. Is it a herring gull?

 

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Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2004

• #2

I think its most likely a Western gull. It looks quite dark mantled and has that heavy almost GBBG gull look to its head. Hopefully someone from the US can help.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Apr 1, 2004

• #3

Not from the US, but I thought Western too.

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Apr 1, 2004

• #4

I'd say Western x Glaucous-winged hybrid/intergrade (a very common hybrid) - the mantle is a bit too pale for pure Western (tho' still darker than Herring). The dark eye also points to Western/Galucous-winged. Perhaps slightly closer to Western than G-W, maybe 70:30 or something like that. Compare p.204 in Sibley.

Michael

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Apr 1, 2004

• #5

I reckon the darkness of the mantle/upperparts is a bit hard to assess on this photo, as the light appears to be shining onto it and giving it a relatively pale appearance. The 'true' colour remains elusive. That said, it could easily be a bit of a hybrid.

 

H

HH75

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2004

• #6

Hi all,
Either a Western or some sort of Western x Glaucous-winged backcross.
Harry

 

Charles Harper

Régisseur

• Apr 1, 2004

• #7

Maybe it's the firebug...

 

Katy Penland

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2004

• #8

Western gull. None of the bird's color in this photo is dependable -- too washed out. And Helen, you'll be happy to know the wharf was completely rebuilt by 2001. Did you go whale watching while in SB? In November, you would've seen gray whales and all kinds of dolphins.

OMG, a broad-tailed hummer just flew by the window! First hummer of the season and I don't have the feeders hung out yet! He's too early!! Gotta go start some nectar........

 

Last edited: Apr 1, 2004

H

helenol

Well-known member

• Apr 1, 2004

• #9

Thanks folks.

Katy, Glad to hear the wharf was rebuilt, I was stood there watching it smoulder the day after the fire.

We did our whalewatching off the island of Maui. And yes, we did see them.

Regards

 

S

Steve-O

Just a Guy

• Apr 2, 2004

• #10

Almost surely a Western, must be the "swanlike" grace that you caught with your photo.


Steve-O

 

H

helenol

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2004

• #11

must be the "swanlike" grace that you caught with your photo.

Click to expand...

Now that is stretching the imagination a little too far!

 

V

very boring banned member

New member

• Apr 2, 2004

• #12

I have not seen occidentalis in the field, but this Larus' back is grey, not black...

 

H

helenol

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2004

• #13

I'm sorry about the quality of the pic, but it was taken with one of those throw-away camera thingies.

 

Katy Penland

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2004

• #14

Karwin said:

I have not seen occidentalis in the field, but this Larus' back is grey, not black...

Click to expand...

Western is medium-to-dark gray-backed, not black, and the farther north you go, the lighter the back for some reason. Not that Santa Barbara is all that far north of LA, but by Monterey the westerns are noticeably lighter; by Seattle they almost look like another sp altogether.

 

S

Szabo Jozsef

Well-known member

• Apr 7, 2004

• #15

Apparently this picture was taken with a wide-angled camera and probably with flash-light which could explain the light back of this bird, additionally the sun is coming from the left. Light rules!