(dominicanus)
back to the Gull ID MainPage
|
Kelp Gull (dominicanus) |
|
IMAGES:
DESCRIPTION:
First Cycle
Adult
KELP GULL (22-24"; 50-56") dominicanus
| BILL SHAPE: rather thick and heavy; 4-5x eye diameter; mod. gon. angle; rather steep curve to culmen near tip | ||||
| HEAD SHAPE: moderately rounded crown; lacks fierce brow of Herring | ||||
| WING EXTENSION: 1-1.5x bill length | ||||
| POSTURE/HABITS: slightly stocky; may appear heavier than Herring. PLUMAGE MAY BE ON AUSTRAL CYCLE. | ||||
| FIRST CYCLE | SECOND CYCLE | THIRD CYCLE | ADULT | |
| BILL COLOR: | black, may have pale tip; pale base by summer | pale yellow or cream w/ irreg. dark sub-term band, thickest on lower mand; black may fade up along culmen | pale yellow w/ little or no gon. spot; slight blue-gray base possible | pale yellow w/ rounded red gon. spot, often w/ cream tip; sometimes pale olive, blue-gray w/ no gon. spot; bright yellow when breeding |
| LEG COLOR: | dull pinkish-brown or gray w/ tinge of olive or yellow toward summer | grayish-brown to olive or blue-gray | dull yellow | yellow-olive to olive-gray; bright mustard yellow when breeding |
| IRIS/ORB RING: | dark | brown to light brown; orb ring gray to yellow | iris as adult, possibly w/ dark flecks; orb ring orange | iris varies from pale cream to brown; orb ring orange to red |
| HEAD: | quite pale headed; thin diffuse streaks over top of crown, upper nape, and aurs; lighter elsewhere, esp pale aur edge; blurred dark crescent from front of eye to under eye, mixing into aurs | white w/ dark smudge before eye; thin dark post-ocular line; light thin streaking on crown, aurs, esp. on aur edge; thick dark streaks on nape and neck sides; white band between nape and back | white w/ variable gray smudge before eye; light streaks on crown, nape, aur edge | usually white and unmarked all year; a few may have faint streaking or spotting around nape |
| UNDERPARTS: | pale throat; light streaks on breast; belly darker and more blotched; undt covs barred | nape streaking continues across breast; belly mostly white w/ few streaks; undt covs barred | white | white |
|
PRIMARIES (folded): |
blackish, possibly w/ faint pale edge to tips | blackish | as adult but w/ smaller A-spots | black w/ white A-spots, which diminish in size; A7 2x eye size; A10 is smaller than eye; worn down in summer |
|
PRIMARIES (in flight): |
blackish; inner Ps show distinct pale subterm spots on inner webs | blackish | as adult, but w/o mirrors and w/ smaller A-spots | black w/ large mirror on P10; 35% have small mirror on P9; P6-7 have slight pale tongues; similar from below |
|
SECONDARIES (in flight): |
blackish w/ tiny pale fringe | blackish w/ mottled pale fringe | as adult, but trailing edge may be irregular | adult gray above w/ broad white trailing edge, about 2/3 bill length |
| TERTIALS: | dark g-b w/ tiny pale fringe | dark g-b w/ extensive pale marbling and thin dark subterm band | as adult, but white crescent may be speckled at bases | adult gray w/ distinct white crescents, about 3/4 bill length |
| GREATER COVERTS: | fairly solid med g-b w/ pale fringe and pale bars or spots on inner feathers | fairly solid med g-b w/ pale tips and faint internal mottling, giving uniform to muddy look | as adult | adult gray |
| LESSER & MED COVERTS: | crisp dark pointed centers w/ pale tips and sides, giving a dark checkered look | med g-b w/ blurry pale tips, giving a muddy look; med covs often adult gray, forming dark band | as adult (but underwing lining dirty or scaly) | adult gray |
| SCAPULARS: | like L&M covs, but w/ reduced pale edges, giving more of a scaled look | adult gray w/ one white crescent, about 1/3 bill length | as adult, but tinged browner when worn | adult gray w/ obvious white crescent, about 1/2 bill length |
| BACK: | solid dark brown w/ negligable pale fringe, giving muddy or scaled look | adult gray, but may be muddied w/ brown fringes | as adult | adult gray is dull black, brownish tinge when worn |
| RUMP: | white w/ scattered irreg. bars | white w/ variable mottling, often faint | white | white |
| TAIL: | brownish-black w/ pale barred outer webs, variable pale barring at bases or outer retrices (rarely extensive); tiny pale fringe at tips | highly variable black area fading into white bases, esp. on outer retrices; pale fringe | white w/ variable dark streaks beside shafts of central retrices; some have incomplete blotchy subterm band | white |