Dave Hewitt's posting from the CBBT was marvelous - great to get all those
nice images! - and I wanted to post something about the gull before too much
time passed. I queried a half-dozen people whom I consider gull experts this
morning, and their replies suggest that the bird appears to be too large and
the
primary projection too short for Iceland Gull of any race. Rather, the
proportions and size appear to best fit Herring Gull (one lacking melanin in
the
primaries) or possibly a hybrid of Herring with Glaucous Gull (the primary
projection and robust appearance perhaps suggest Glaucous genes), also
sometimes
called "Nelson's Gull" (most of which, however, show a primary pattern
intermediate between Herring and Glaucous). Maybe more likely, some thought,
would be a
backcross of such a hybrid with a Glaucous, a species that varies in size
across its Holarctic range (some Alaskan birds are rather small).
(Glaucous-winged Gull, which has reached Texas, Michigan, and Missouri, is
ruled out by
proportions of bill/head and by plumage.)
Whatever this bird is, it's not an easy call, by any means, and it may be
that it's technically not identifiable. I certainly could not perceive in this
bird a familiar species of gull, though it was possible to rule out some
species, such as Iceland and Glaucous-winged and Thayer's. But how fantastic
to
click on a website and instantly see images of a bird being discussed! It
really
opens learning experiences like this one to the whole world - and sometimes,
individual birds require input from people all over the world! I just bought
a new Canon 20D camera, so I hope to be able to post images soon, too. Thanks
to Dave for bringing this bird to everyone's attention.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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