Seward, Alaska
While beach fishers caught and
cleaned reds and silvers, gulls squabbled over the guts or possibilities
thereof. I recognized the default GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, but some bleached out
birds had me wondering. I sent photos to gull expert Steve Heinl who identified
them both as HERRING GULLS.
Here are his comments:
The bleached-out bird is a
first cycle bird, one that has not completed its first primary molt, usually around
a year old. The brown plumage that gulls attain in the first year tends to be
much more prone to bleaching than later plumages. While paler than normal, the
dark brown outer primaries, secondaries, and tail still contrast markedly with
the rest of the plumage.
The older Herring Gull is not
as severely bleached.
Note: a first cycle
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL would show more uniform coloration, particularly on the
wings.
Thanks, Steve!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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