Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: 2nd Winter Ring-Billed Gull?

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    2,173
    Threads
    219
    Thank You Posts

    Default 2nd Winter Ring-Billed Gull?

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Second winter or adult? Unfortunately I forgot to check the primaries. Note the little bit of the red gape showing. I have heard that you can tell the second winter Ring-Billed Gulls from the adults by how defined the ring on the bill is. Any ideas?
    Last edited by Aidan Briggs; 12-27-2009 at 11:53 PM.

  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    2,173
    Threads
    219
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Here is one for comparison. I am 99% sure this is a second winter.

  3. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Taunton MA
    Posts
    1,247
    Threads
    175
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Aidan With the bill being yellow and after checking bird of NA on line this is an adult Ring-billed Gull as your second picture the 2nd year gull has a greenish bill
    Regards
    Myer

  4. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    6,588
    Threads
    643
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I agree. First image is classic adult RBGU in Basic, winter plumage. The colour of the bill and the eye give it away.

  5. #5
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Anchorage
    Posts
    394
    Threads
    42
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Aiden,

    Looks pretty good for an adult to me. Soft parts tend to vary on continuous scales rather than discrete states so expect variation. The ring does become crisper as the bird matures but you can use better characters for picking out 2nd winter ringers. The bill color and the duller eye in your 2nd image seem more useful but in a line-up of ring-billed gulls I tend to use leg color; pink in 1st winter, grenish 2nd winter, yellowish >=3rd winter (but again, soft parts do show variabilty).

  6. #6
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I agree with above. I have seen the red gape and red orbital ring in adults. I will post some of my photos. adult, 2nd winter and 1st winter in that order. Correct me if I am wrong.


  7. #7
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    2nd winter


  8. #8
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    1st winter


  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    2,173
    Threads
    219
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks everyone! Your ID's look good Kaustubh. Note the white spots on the adults primaries that the second winter bird lacks.

  10. #10
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Aidan, I have also read that the 2nd winter RBG has some black in the tail that the adult does not have.

  11. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    2,173
    Threads
    219
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Kaustubh, I hadn't heard of that

  12. #12
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Dallas, Texas.
    Posts
    6,260
    Threads
    426
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Here is where I had read it.....with photographic evidence. Internet is a great place.

    http://10000birds.com/2nd-winter-vs-...lled-gull.htm/

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Taunton MA
    Posts
    1,247
    Threads
    175
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Here is a picture of the ring-billed gulls in flight showing the tail differences
    Nikon D300s 80-400 @145 1/500 f11 ISO 200 EV-1/3

  14. #14
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    167
    Threads
    10
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I would caution against using the black in the tail as an absolute aging criteria. I have seen clearly second-cycle Ring-billed Gulls with no black on the tail, and it's rather common to see them with only a couple of black spots as opposed to the whole band. The more consistent marks are the outer primaries, which in mid-winter will be dark brown and lacking the big mirror on p10, and the bill and eye.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics