Gull - Strathclyde Loch, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Earth approx 11:00 this morning. (1 Viewer)

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi all. Probably going to embarrass myself here but this was the closest I could get to Ring-billed Gull on a brief visit this morning. Or is it “just” a Common Gull which I suspect it is. Apologies for the quality of the photos. I take shocking pictures, and I had a 30 KG Vizsla pulling at my arm. 😂

 

[dwatsonbirder]

The extensive white tertial "step" and fine bill are both good features to confirm this as Common over Ring-billed.

 

[Richard Prior]

Common Gull Rich, it’s got the famous tertial step!


Drat, D W beat me to it!

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Thanks both. I was hoping for a late Christmas miracle. 👍

 

[Butty]

A difference not illustrated or mentioned by Svensson edn 3, sadly.
(Though... not sure how a step can be 'extensive'? We are talking about the same thing? - viz. Tertial step: the drop down in level from the upper edge of the uppermost tertial to the upper edge of the primaries, when the gull is viewed side-on at rest. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls ?)

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

The extensive white tertial "step" and fine bill are both good features to confirm this as Common over Ring-billed.

I’ve just been looking at photos of the actual bird Dan, and the bill is noticeably different - even to me.

 

[01101001]

Found a nice article, here:

Ring-billed Gulls vs Common Gulls: comparison from a Dutch perspective- 201402

Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis are common visitors to Europe with frequent sightings in countries directly bordering the North Atlantic such as Ireland, Spain and Portugal. Here in the Nether…

gullstothehorizon.wordpress.com

 

[Butty]

Good and confused now... There's photos in the source linked above that show both species having a tertial-step and both species not having a tertial-step 🤔 Are we (or should we in fact have been all along) talking about width of the white tertial-crescent rather than the presence of a tertial-step?

 

[Richard Prior]

Good and confused now... There's photos in the source linked above that show both species having a tertial-step and both species not having a tertial-step 🤔 Are we (or should we in fact have been all along) talking about width of the white tertial-crescent rather than the presence of a tertial-step?

Yes that would be a better way of talking about it, of course they both have a ‘tertial step’ but the white is very visible on Common and often lacking on Ring-billed, a couple of individuals from Cornwall, England yesterday here ( the better photos are below the G w Teal pic:
Thursday 28th December 2023 - Cornwall Birds (CBWPSTT

 

[JTweedie]

You should have been there on Boxing Day. Clyde Birds reports Iceland Gull, Ring-billed Gull and Mediterranean Gull there.

https://x.com/Clydebirding/status/1739675860876087658?s=20

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

You should have been there on Boxing Day. Clyde Birds reports Iceland Gull, Ring-billed Gull and Mediterranean Gull there.

https://x.com/Clydebirding/status/1739675860876087658?s=20

Always the way John. The Nethy Waxwings naffed off 2 days before we arrived. 😥