Gull ID

[Myer Bornstein]

A first winter Bird found at Plymouth MA Harbor ID please

[Ilija Dukovski]

Hey Myer,

Could you please get us an idea how big this bird was.
In these kind of situations it is best to actually measure
the post it was standing on.
(BTW that is why GOOD field guides have in and cm scales printed)

Cheers!

[Richard Stern]

I would call it a 1st W. American Herring gull. It would be the "default" large gull in MA, and other similar but much rarer ones, such as LBB, European Herring, Y-legged etc. would have to be carefully compared - and to me none of those fit for a variety of reasons, and this bird appears to have the correct field marks for Herring.

Richard

[Ilija Dukovski]

I don't see why this wouldn't be a juv. Herring Gull. Not pale enough for a Thayer's
also dark scapulars.
Any reasons you think this is not Herring?

[Myer Bornstein]

Hey Myer,

Could you please get us an idea how big this bird was.
In these kind of situations it is best to actually measure
the post it was standing on.
(BTW that is why GOOD field guides have in and cm scales printed)

Cheers!

25-27" and no black on end of wings
looked larger than then the adult herring gulls thast were near it

[Paul Guris]

Looks like American Herring Gull. The flight feathers are all darkish and solid. The folded primaries are particularly dark. The amount of tail peeking out from below the primaries is completely dark. Underpart mottling looks correct too.

Myer: Size can be tricky in gulls. Males average larger than females, there's variation between populations, and there's variation within populations. And I would not expect black at the tips of the wings of a first winter bird.

[Chris Sloan]

I agree this is a first cycle smithsonianus Herring Gull.

[Myer Bornstein]

Thanks everyone