Bosque Gull ID

[Doug Brown]

I was minding my own business photographing Snow Geese at the Bosque with a friend when a bird caught my eye. I'd never seen anything like it in New Mexico. I snapped a few frames and just got a chance to review them. I believe this is a juvenile Black-Legged Kittiwake. They are listed as accidental at Bosque del Apache. Any thoughts from the experts?

[Doug Brown]

One more view.

[Julian Hough]

Classic juv. Black-legged Kittiwake..nice shot of what is surely an unusual bird there!

[Dan Brown]

Hey Doug, Awesome find! I think that you have a Black-legged Kittiwake! a very rare find for anywhere in the interior of the continent! You need to report this to the local birders! COOL. Nice shots also!

[Paul Lagasi]

I echo the sentiments above...a very special find, in the interior..very nice capture of back with classic "M" shaped pattern

[Doug Brown]

Thanks for the confirmation guys! According to the New Mexico Ornithological Society Database, there have been only 19 sightings of a Black-Legged Kittiwake in New Mexico in the last 38 years (as far back as the database results went). The last sighting at the Bosque was 28 years ago!

[Dan Brown]

Great job Doug! Your ornith group will have a great photo record of this sighting!

[John Chardine]

The name "tarrock" used to be applied to young kittiwakes in this plumage.

Kittiwakes show up regularly on the Niagara River in Niagara Falls. There are large Pacific populations breeding in Alaska and this one is likely from there. I studied wingtip patterns in kittiwakes from around the world and published the results in Condor a while back. If this were an adult bird I could have said with some certainty which ocean (Pacific or Atlantic) the bird came from.