Vancouver Island - Gull (1 Viewer)

J

JanD

Member

• Nov 18, 2019

• #1

Dear Community,

first of all, I have to apologize for the quality of the attached picture. It was taken with my phone through my binos. I saw two of those gulls today at Island View Beach (Vancouver Island). I have no expertise in gull identification (I am a newbie bird watchter). My guess would be a California or a Mew Gull, but I found the color of the head and breast quite curious.


Thank you,
Jan

 

Attachments

• 
  20191117_171951.jpg

  78.6 KB · Views: 160

Last edited: Nov 18, 2019

rollingthunder

Well-known member

• Nov 19, 2019

• #2

Strikes me as a Sabine...

Laurie:t:

 

H

HouseCrow

Well-known member

• Nov 19, 2019

• #3

Inat mentions oilstain as source for the brown head and neck. So then it's one of the adult large headed. Difficult to tell from this image.

Cheerw
Housecrow

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Nov 19, 2019

• #4

From the dark grey mantle, I'd say Western (or 'Olympic' Western x Glaucous-winged); badly oil-stained head and neck.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Nov 19, 2019

• #5

looks like a 3rd winter california gull to me.

 

J

JanD

Member

• Nov 19, 2019

• #6

Thank you all very much for your opinions! Interesting hint with the oil stain. Just wondering why both gulls looked pretty much alike... but the picture is of course horrible.

Cheers,
JD

 

Tib78

Well-known member

• Nov 20, 2019

• #7

It’s an immature Western (or possibly Olympic) gull.
Not sure what’s going on with the head/breast colour. It may simply be remnant signs of immaturity, in which case an Olympic gull is perhaps more likely as Western typically has a white head/breast from 3rd cycle on (this bird is at least in it’s 3rd cycle). But some kind of staining is possible too of course.
The bird is too bulky and short winged for either Mew and California, the mantle is too dark too.