Help with Shorebirds, SE Florida (1 Viewer)

jocateme · Feb 2, 2007

All these pictures were taken in a beach in Boca Raton, Florida, USA in January. I would appreciate any help with the IDs:
1 - Royal Tern?
2 - Sandwich Tern?
3 - Imm. gull?
4 & 5 - ?
My knowledge about shorebirds is really poor (sorry).

Thanks in advance

chubri777 · Feb 2, 2007

Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Laughing Gull
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling

AlexC · Feb 2, 2007

chubri777 said:
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Laughing Gull
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling

Agree, agree, agree, agree, agree.

jocateme · Feb 2, 2007

Thanks very much, Chubri777 and Alex!
Since the gull is Laughing, I guess this one is an immature then?
Sorry for the poor quality.

jcwings · Feb 2, 2007

jocateme said:
Thanks very much, Chubri777 and Alex!
Since the gull is Laughing, I guess this one is an immature then?
Sorry for the poor quality.

That's a different gull. First winter Herring maybe.

AlexC · Feb 2, 2007

jocateme said:
Thanks very much, Chubri777 and Alex!
Since the gull is Laughing, I guess this one is an immature then?
Sorry for the poor quality.

I can't really tell the leg color from this picture, but if it's got black legs and an all-black bill, this one's a young Laughing. I'd say that the structure looks good for Laughing, too - kinda scrawny, thin necked... Head-shape is small and rounded also.

Joern Lehmhus · Feb 2, 2007

Concerning the photo in post #4:

But in comparison to the Royal tern it would be smaller if it were Laughing gull?

also it looks too spotty in colour pattern for Laughing gull... I ´d see this as one of the big gulls ...donn´t know if Am.herring or lesser blackbacked (It looks quite longwinged to me)

EDIT: and isn´t the bird on the right ,of which you see only the back half, a Laughing gull? that one´s clearly smaller...

JANJ · Feb 2, 2007

The tertials are broadly white tipped, the bill two toned, wrong shape, the underparts dotted or streaked, upperparts difficult to get a grip on but the neck is streaked/dotted, plain ear coverts, no visible white eye-lids together with struckture and short p-projection exclude LG. Maybe a second winter ( wide tertial tips- if correctly show in the image) American Herring Gull.

JanJ

lockbreeze926 · Feb 2, 2007

Agree with all the original diagnoses - plus the bird behind the Turnstone is a Sanderling.

jocateme · Feb 2, 2007

Thank very much for the replies, guys!
I'm posting the entire picture (for size comparison*) plus one that shows leg and bill colors.
*But notice that the Royal Tern and the Laughing Gull are further than the mystery one.

lou salomon · Feb 2, 2007

probably an american herring gull.

Jeff Hopkins · Feb 2, 2007

Definitely a herring gull in the second post. I'd agree with a likely second year, as well.

B Lagopus · Feb 2, 2007

In my opinion, the combination of extensively dark bill, dark eyes, and lack of gray on the brown mantle combine to almost surely make the Herring Gull a first winter bird (2nd CY).

JANJ · Feb 2, 2007

Tertial tips not that wide as thought. Mantle does actually have some grey on my monitor. Worn 1st winter (2cy) seems a better choice in agreement with BL.

JanJ

jocateme · Feb 2, 2007

Wow! Thanks very much for the detailed answers!
1st winter Herring Gull, then.

David Norgate · Feb 2, 2007

agrred with the ids - out of interest, isn't the Laughing Gull in the first post an adult (non-breeding / alternate plumage)?

AlexC · Feb 2, 2007

Seeing post #10, I agree this is a Herring Gull.

Help with Shorebirds, SE Florida (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Aves en Los Ángeles

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Aves en Los Ángeles

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

the birdonist

Just another...observer

Voler

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Aves en Los Ángeles

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread