[Birdtalk] Re: [Birdnet] Glaucous-winged Gull Photo

[Cliff and Lisa Weisse]

Colby,

I thought the same thing when I looked at this bird back in early 
December, it doesn't quite fit Glaucous-winged.  I think the pale lower 
edge of the bill out to the gonys suggests parentage other than GWGU x 
WEGU, probably GWGU x HEGU.  Both Western and Glaucous-winged have black 
bills in first winter so this would be early for a hybrid between those 
species to be getting pale.  Herring gets a pale bill base much 
earlier.  Other points against "pure" Glaucous-winged include slender 
body, light pink legs (maybe a result of the lighting?) and primary 
extension on the long side for GWGU.  Also GWGUs seem to have a wider 
primary stack with more dagger shaped primaries rather than the narrow 
primaries this bird has.  Don't know if that's a consistent field mark 
but look at the shape of the primaries on this bird for comparison (or 
any of the first winter birds in Howell and Dunn):
http://www.octoberweb.com/birds/gwgu/picklesbutte/
Also note the extensive pale edges of the primaries on the Pickles Butte 
bird (which also has longish primaries for a GWGU), the deep bellied and 
small headed look, and the dark pink legs.

Cliff

Colby Neuman wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I meant to initiate some discussion regarding Rick's Glaucous-winged 
> Gull from Washington County when he sent in this photo earlier this 
> winter...
>
> Anyway, this bird seems to fit a first winter Glaucous-winged (GWGU) X 
> Western Gull (WEGU) hybrid more than a pure Glaucous-winged Gull...at 
> least based off the one photo provided.  I don't believe a pure first 
> winter Glaucous-winged Gull can show primaries that are that much 
> darker than the rest of the bird.  If my memory serves me right, there 
> are several images on google labeled (though that does not mean they 
> are labeled correctly) GWGU X WEGU hybrids that seem to look 
> remarkably similar to the Washington County bird.  Anyway, I'd 
> appreciate comments from others...maybe this one photo is misleading, 
> Rick?
>
> Colby
>
>
>
> 2008/12/7 Utah Birds <utahbirds at gmail.com <mailto:utahbirds at gmail.com>>
>
>     Rick Fridell sent in a great picture of a 1st winter
>     GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL he took at Sand Hollow Reservoir -- probably
>     the first GWGU documented in Southern Utah.
>
>     Here's the link:
>     http://www.utahbirds.org/hotlinephotos/2008/GlaucousWingedGull.htm
>
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-- 
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa at octobersetters.com

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