Gulls part two, SoCal (1 Viewer)

[BAL Land]

Saltwater marsh yesterday, Orange County, California. Thanks!
Bird one. California vs Herring vs Iceland.

Bird two. Never lifted its head. Looks like a California, but it’s got pink legs so it’s got to be herring or Iceland.
Bird three. This is the one that I’m most confident is Iceland. I believe these are the same bird, but I’m not 100% sure on that.

Thanks!

 

[Winterdune]

Iceland Gull can be ruled out for all of them due to the black primaries.

 

[BAL Land]

Iceland Gull can be ruled out for all of them due to the black primaries.

That’s not true, and the last one was confirmed by others as an Iceland.

 

[pdwinter]

Agree with Winterdune - no Iceland Gulls in these images

 

[THE_FERN]

They look like herring (at least the grey backed ones), but I know there're loads of hybrids etc to consider

 

[BAL Land]

Thanks all! What I’ve been told by the local experts is that all the birds in questions are Herring except for the last one.

 

[BAL Land]

And they said the last one is Iceland.

 

[pdwinter]

The last one could be a Thayer's Gull (bubblegum pink legs, gentle look, small parallel sided bill etc.) , which some people regard as a subspecies of Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides thayeri).

This side of the pond we would have to have some open-winged shots as well to get it past the committee

 

[Winterdune]

That’s not true, and the last one was confirmed by others as an Iceland.

I assure you that it is true. In the Iceland/Kumleins/Thayers complex only Thayers has dark primaries. Although some authorities maintain them as subspecies so I guess if you include Thayers as part of the Iceland species then you could state that, but it would still be more accurate to name the subsp 🙂

Edit - sorry just read pdwinter's post above. I agree - the last one looks very good for Thayers.

 

[THE_FERN]

I assure you that it is true. In the Iceland/Kumleins/Thayers complex only Thayers has dark primaries. Although some authorities maintain them as subspecies so I guess if you include Thayers as part of the Iceland species then you could state that, but it would still be more accurate to name the subsp 🙂

Edit - sorry just read pdwinter's post above. I agree - the last one looks very good for Thayers.

Everyone will have there opinion but taking apparent lighting into account I think the mantle is too dark, although perhaps the apparently spindly very pink legs are good for that form.

 

[BAL Land]

The last one could be a Thayer's Gull (bubblegum pink legs, gentle look, small parallel sided bill etc.) , which some people regard as a subspecies of Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides thayeri).

This side of the pond we would have to have some open-winged shots as well to get it past the committee

I assure you that it is true. In the Iceland/Kumleins/Thayers complex only Thayers has dark primaries. Although some authorities maintain them as subspecies so I guess if you include Thayers as part of the Iceland species then you could state that, but it would still be more accurate to name the subsp 🙂

Edit - sorry just read pdwinter's post above. I agree - the last one looks very good for Thayers.

Thanks to both of you! I started birding after Iceland and Thayer’s were merged, so I’ve just always been so used to saying Iceland Gull, not Thayer’s. All along in this thread when I said “Iceland Gull”, I meant Thayer’s, never actual “Iceland” gulls. My apologies!