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Gull help central Oregon us (1 Viewer)

colleenc

Well-known member
Couldn't find in my bird book has dark eyes dark tip and red spot on bill sure is pretty
 

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Agree. The combination of dark eye, red spot + blackish tip on the bill and greenish-grey / yellowish-grey legs on the adult ( on the right ) rule out other species of gull.

Chris
 
The size of the black tip is variable. Some birds just have a narrow band while, at the opposite extreme it looks like a completely dark tip.

Chris
 
as chris says black bill marks are variable. but this bird is not fully adult but in its 4th calendar year (beginning of its fourth moult cycle) with the dark marks in 3rd gen. tail feathers and tertials; younger birds show more black in bill than adults so this is the explanation why in this particular gull black is more extensive than in adults. but in 2 months, in august, even adults can have such large dark marks, when in basic plumage.
so: it's individually variable, age-related and related to hormonal state (in spring less black, in fall more black).
 
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