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("Baraba") Steppe Gull (barabensis)

IMAGES:

Adult

DESCRIPTION:

("Baraba") STEPPE GULL(...) barabensis

BILL SHAPE: rather variable but generally appearing proportionately longer and thinner than armenicus; gon angle usually small
HEAD SHAPE: small and rounded
WING EXTENSTION: long; slightly longer than bill length.
POSTURE/HABITS: slightly smaller than cachinaans and heuglini
FIRST CYCLE SECOND CYCLE THIRD CYCLE ADULT
BILL COLOR: ... ... ... bright yellow w/ orange-red gon. spot; usually with dark mark on upper mand.
LEG COLOR: ... ... ... bright yellow
IRIS/ORB RING: dark ... ... most are pale yellow, but a minority have dark eyes; orb ring usually orange-red
HEAD: ... ... ... white with faint streaking on the hind neck
UNDERPARTS: ... ... ... white
PRIMARIES
(folded): 		... ... ... A-spots evenly spaced except 9-10 closer; generally smaller than eye
PRIMARIES
(in flight): 		... ... ... medium mirror on P10, separated from tip by thick black band; half w/ small mirror on P9; black markings to P3 or P4 (less often only to P5); dark area medium gray from below.
SECONDARIES
(in flight): 		... ... ... adult gray w/ white trailing edge, 1/2 to 1/3 bill length
TERTIALS: ... ... ... adult gray w/ white cresent about 1/2 to 3/4 bill length
GREATER COVERTS: ... ... ... adult gray
LESSER & MED COVERTS: ... ... ... adult gray
SCAPULARS: ... ... ... adult gray w/ small white crescent
BACK: ... ... ... adult gray is med slate gray w/ brownish tinge, obviously lighter than heug, slightly darker than taim.
RUMP: ... ... ... white
TAIL: ... ... ... white