Dave, Although I wouldn't rule out a hybrid, I would call this a Lesser Black-backed Gull. It is roughly the same size as, or slightly smaller than the Herring Gulls in your photos. The wing extension seems a little short, but the almost complete lack of a tertial crescent on the back is about right (and rules against Slaty-backed). The uncertainty about what color the legs are also fits with a sub-adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. That seems to be a common confusion. The degree of head markings and the eye color is variable in the large gulls and often related to age. The extra large and messy red spot on the lower mandible if classic Lesser Black-backed Gull to me.
Best, Kevin Ithaca, NY From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 9:45 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Dark-mantled Madison Co landfill gull Here's a gull from 11/23/12. I saw it in the same scope field with Great and Lesser BB Gulls but the only photos I have show it with Herring. I have included a typical LBBG with GBBG for comparison of back color and pointed to the LBBG with a wide arrow. I also created a composite photo. The bird was larger and darker than Lesser BB Gull (in direct comparison) and had a dusky eye rather than staring yellow (which could be seen on the known LBBG). In direct comparison with Great BB Gull it was smaller and slightly paler. Ultimately I thought the bird a hybrid of one sort or another. Strikes against a LBBG include size, darker color, dusky eye, and leg color if fleshy pink rather than fleshy yellow. If too dark for a pure LBBG then LBBG x Herring would seem to be out. I didn't think a GBBG because of size and back color in direct comparison. Strikes against Slaty-backed seem to be the dusky eye and probably other things too. I saw the legs at a distance but not sure what color. One of the photos shows a well-defined white crescent and I zoomed in on it - not sure if it's the tertials or secondaries. Comments welcome. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22183060@N08/sets/72157632207031229/ Dave Wheeler N. Syracuse, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- ________________________________ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com> Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2637/5468 - Release Date: 12/18/12 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
