Gull ID from SE Michigan, USA (1 Viewer)

zerb21

Bruce Moorman

• Nov 29, 2014

• #1

I saw this gull at North Bay Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA on November 26, 2014. Thank you in advance for helping identify it.

 

Attachments

• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_05.jpg

  160.9 KB · Views: 130
• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_17.jpg

  162.9 KB · Views: 109
• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_18.jpg

  162.1 KB · Views: 125

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Nov 29, 2014

• #2

looks like a vagrant slaty-backed gull. an open wing view (with the "string of pearls" visible) should reinforce this ID. as far as i know slaty-backed is a regular but of course rare guest (from NE asia) on lake michigan.

 

zerb21

Bruce Moorman

• Nov 29, 2014

• #3

Thanks for the help identifying this bird. Here are some more photos of it.

 

Attachments

• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_09.jpg

  162.9 KB · Views: 84
• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_11.jpg

  196.7 KB · Views: 125
• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_12.jpg

  251.2 KB · Views: 75

K

Kratter

Well-known member

• Nov 29, 2014

• #4

The spread wing photos posted should cinch this as a Slaty-backed Gull. This is a real good bird on the Great Lakes (and anywhere outside western Alaska in North America). You should report this to local list-serves/RBAs, as there are plenty of birders who would like to see it.

Andy

 

steveMc

Well-known member

• Nov 29, 2014

• #5

No gull expert here by any means ... curious how the wing cinches it as a Slaty-backed? My first thought was Lesser Black-backed gull.

 

Stonefaction

Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).

• Nov 29, 2014

• #6

Lesser Black Backed Gull should have yellow legs.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Nov 29, 2014

• #7

steve, it's the mentioned "string of pearls" typical for SBG, which this gull definitely is. congrats to the rare find.
look at the pale 'moons' on primaries 5-8 forming a row basal to the black subterminal marks.

 

Attachments

• 
  2014_11_26_NBPark_11 - Kopie.jpg

  232 KB · Views: 89

jmepler

It's just a flesh wound.

• Nov 29, 2014

• #8

steveMc said:

No gull expert here by any means ... curious how the wing cinches it as a Slaty-backed? My first thought was Lesser Black-backed gull.

Click to expand...

Lesser Black-backed Gull has extensive black wingtips with limited white spotting. Slaty-backed Gull has limited black on the wingtips with a row of sub-terminal white spots. This is quite evident on the middle picture of the second group.

Mike

 

Phaethon

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2014

• #9

Michigan list serves/FB pages

Bruce:

Good place to post sightings like this is on [email protected] and on some of the FaceBook pages like https://www.facebook.com/groups/nagulls/796761330370089/?notif_t=group_activity

and a couple others on FaceBook like "Birding Michigan"

Brian Allen

 

steveMc

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2014

• #10

Away on business for a bit and just back .. glad I refound this thread. Thanks for the explanation guys comparing this bird, to LBB gull! Very good info to know.

 

Southern Frogmouth

Well-known member

• Dec 7, 2014

• #11

lou salomon said:

steve, it's the mentioned "string of pearls" typical for SBG, which this gull definitely is. congrats to the rare find.
look at the pale 'moons' on primaries 5-8 forming a row basal to the black subterminal marks.

Click to expand...

Unless of course it had turned up in Britain where you would probably need DNA from its parents to get it accepted as a Slaty-backed Gullo

Cheers

Roy

 

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Dec 7, 2014

• #12

TringBirder said:

Unless of course it had turned up in Britain where you would probably need DNA from its parents to get it accepted as a Slaty-backed Gullo

Cheers

Roy

Click to expand...

You would need permission from both parents to take the DNA3