One more / last / final Vancouver / August, gull ID please. (1 Viewer)

[Keith/Portland]

Hi. I have been trying to join the Gulls of North America Facebook group but cannot get to join as nobody replies! Hence I have one more ID question please. A much better photo this time. Vancouver BC. August. Note the pale iris. Thanks. Keith.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

The jizz and most features seem to suggest California gull, but the colour of the primaries (though heavily abraded) and the legs is giving me some concern - it could have some Glaucous-winged genes in there.

I spent a while looking at these birds when I was in BC and came to the conclusion they are both taxonomically and phenotypically a mess up there!

 

[Keith/Portland]

I understand exactly what you mean. As Callie does not appear to interbreed with Glauc. winged (I may be wrong) I put the pale primaries down to wear! Otherwise I wondered about an AHGU x Callie hybrid … however it seems it’s the other race of the latter (that I have never seen) that does so - but out on the prairies, or across that way somewhere. If it sere not for such a CAGU like head and greater coverts I would happiky opt for AHGU, but it still doesn’t look right.