Gulls, terns & cormorants [Peru] (2 Viewers)

[annelikesbirds]

Some more Peruvian birds I'm having trouble IDing All of these birds were photographed at the south Peruvian shore. If you have any tips on how to distinguish these birds from similar species, I'd be much obliged.

Thank you!

Anne

 

[Kratter]

1) Elegant Tern. Long orange bill quite thin
2) Laughing Gull
3) Kelp Gull. Large, very dark back
4) Neotropic Cormorant. Only mostly dark cormorant
5) young Guanay Cormorants. White belly

Get Birds of Peru. Schulenberg et al. For IDs in Peru. These are all straight forward

 

[RafaelMatias]

1) Elegant Tern. Long orange bill quite thin
2) Laughing Gull
3) Kelp Gull. Large, very dark back
4) Neotropic Cormorant. Only mostly dark cormorant
5) young Guanay Cormorants. White belly

Get Birds of Peru. Schulenberg et al. For IDs in Peru. These are all straight forward

Agree with 1-2 and 4-5.

#3 is a Belcher's Gull

 

[annelikesbirds]

Thank you both!

How does one distinguish between Laughing and Franklin's gull? I can't really tell them apart... My guide only shows Franklin's, and to me the gulls in this picture (see attached) look exactly like the guide's 'non-breeding' Franklin's gull. Now I'm not so sure anymore

With the other gull, I thought Belcher's should have a bit of black on the beak, and Kelp red only, and only on the lower mandible - so again I couldn't make up my mind.

 

[RafaelMatias]

Thank you both!

How does one distinguish between Laughing and Franklin's gull? I can't really tell them apart... My guide only shows Franklin's, and to me the gulls in this picture (see attached) look exactly like the guide's 'non-breeding' Franklin's gull. Now I'm not so sure anymore

This is a good question and made me look into your gull #2 again. It is a Franklin's, not a Laughing. The hood shape is different between both species (way more extensive in Franklin's), the eye crescents are larger/thicker in Franklin's, and bill is also shorter in Franklin's (there are a number of other differences, but not visible in your pics). On your last photo (post#4) the central one is a Franklin's, but I'm not sure about the others based on this photo alone. However, Franklin's is the default gull in southern Peru and in Chile (Laughing becomes rare in central Peru), making Laughing less likely...

 

[annelikesbirds]

Thanks! My last photo was of a very large group of these gulls that clearly belonged together - but maybe Franklin's and Laughing gulls tend to mix? I know nothing about non-European birds so I really appreciate your clear explanations!

 

[lou salomon]

agree on franklin's gull and belcher's gull. and elegant tern.

 

[Sangahyando]

If you have any tips on how to distinguish these birds from similar species, I'd be much obliged.

Apart from the different bill pattern, you can see the Belcher's Gull also has a black tail band and seems to have entirely black wing tips. By contrast, the Kelp Gull is much more similar to a Great Black-backed Gull, lacking the tail band etc.

 

[annelikesbirds]

Thank you!