[Birdnet] Final Thoughts on Logan's Iceland Gull

[Jason Pietrzak]

I just returned from a week away, so sorry for the delay in posting this
regarding the Iceland Gull but the email that Matt Mills just sent out
reminded me about this...

Many people emailed me privately from Frontiers and also from Utah, below
are their collected thoughts on this gull (hopefully didn't miss any). To
sum it up, Kumlien's Iceland Gull had the most support. After studying
multiple sources for a few days, I personally became convinced of that
myself. Thanks everybody for your help!


Donna Thorum (UT):
These are great photos.  My opinion doesn't matter at all, but I say it is
an Iceland gull.

Forrest Rowland:
Looks very 1st-winter Thayer's Gull to me. Size and jizz lean more towards
Thayer's than Glaucous, and the base color and shape appear off for
Glaucous-winged Gull.

Julian Hough:
I don't see anything unusual about it being a juv-first-winter Kumlien's
Gull.
Overall structure, small head and small bill with pinkish base and general
colouration and feather patterning on the mantle all seem fine.

Nick Lethaby:
I only took a brief look at the pictures, but I would initially go for an
Iceland Gull. There is too much pale at the bill base for a Thayer's at this
time of the year and the flight feathers and tertials look paler than
virtually all (if not all, given the fact we're early in the season) the
Thayer's I've seen. The best shot of it standing seemed to show the long
wings, rounded head, small bill of an Iceland, although the other shots
weren't as convincing in that respect.
I've have lots of Thayer's experience + hybrids but only minimal experience
with Iceland.

Greg Hanisek:
As my friend Julian said in a post, looks like a perfectly fine first-winter
kumlieni Iceland Gull. If I saw it here in Conn I wouldn't have a second
thought about the ID. Julian covered the key points. I can't remember if he
mentioned the chest-heavy look, but that's good too.

Floyd Hayes:
I'll vote for a small juvenile female Glaucous Gull. The weekend's storm
also brought in the first Lesser Black-backed Gull for Lake County,
California.

Floyd Hayes (second thoughts):
Just returned from birding and had some second thoughts on your gull. I was
thinking the base of the bill was too pale and sharply demarcated for a
juvenile Kumlien's Iceland Gull, but I think they can be that way.
Unfortunately my gull books are at home! Nevertheless, the bird is very
small for Glaucous Gull and it looks rather short-billed as well. I'll vote
for a Kumlien's Iceland Gull. And it looks even better than the one I found
a few years ago, which became California's fourth accepted record.

Zoe Rarestorm:
The wings, the bill, the size, the plumage pattern all leave no doubt that
your gull is a Kumlien's Iceland Gull. I don't see any debate over this one.
Nice find - enjoy it!
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