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Iceland Gull (glaucoides)
IMAGES:
DESCRIPTION:
Note: "Kumlien's Gull" is considered here to be
Iceland x Thayer's hybrid
and is in the hybrid section.
See this page for a note on taxonomy and a proposed Thayer's/Kumlien's/Iceland scoring system.
First Cycle
Second Cycle
Third Cycle
Adult
ICELAND GULL (23-25"; 49-51") glaucoides
| BILL SHAPE: small and straight; slightly smaller than Thayer's; about 3x eye diam; gon angle small; culmen curves gently to tip, beginning ½ to 1/3 of the way out | ||||
| HEAD SHAPE: rounded and dove-like; sometimes w/ forehead sloped into bill; other times appearing puffy | ||||
| WING EXTENSTION: long; about 1.5 x bill length | ||||
| POSTURE/HABITS: usually has a gentle, delicate appearance and thin body | ||||
| FIRST CYCLE | SECOND CYCLE | THIRD CYCLE | ADULT | |
| BILL COLOR: | variable; black outer 2/3 on lower mand and cutting edge, 1/3 on upper mand and along culmen; fades to flesh, gray, olive, or dusky rose base; may appear all dark | dull pink to gray or flesh, fading to black tip of variable size (sometimes distinct); extreme tip often pale | greenish-yellow w/ variable black subterm band and pale tip; often w/ hint of red gon spot | yellow, often greenish-yellow near base, w/ large red gon spot |
| LEG COLOR: | reddish-pink | reddish-pink | reddish-pink | bright reddish-pink |
| IRIS/ORB RING: | dark | dark brown to gold | as adult | glauc pale yellow; kum gold-yellow to brown; orb ring reddish-purple |
| HEAD: | pale w/ fairly even thin diffuse pale g-b streaking over entire head; no solid areas | as 1W, w/ obvious pale aur edge, giving collared look | as adult but streaking usually more extensive | variable light streaking to crown and aurs; heavier streaking down nape and neck sides; broken white eye ring; some appear nearly all white |
| UNDERPARTS: | solid to mottled creamy g-b from breast to belly; vent more barred | irreg mottled pale g-b | as adult, but w/ greater smudging on breast | white; head streaking often extends across upper breast |
|
PRIMARIES (folded): |
usually white; may have pale subterm chevron w/ tiny dark spot in tip | often pure white | as adult | white |
|
PRIMARIES (in flight): |
paler than rest of wing, nearly white; translucent from below | outer Ps often g-b on outer webs and tips, otherwise white; translucent from below | as adult | extensive white tips on P6-10, w/ no dark marks; translucent from below |
|
SECONDARIES (in flight): |
similar to Ps, though inner feathers rarely slightly darker | similar to Ps, though inner feathers rarely slightly darker | as adult | adult gray w/ broad white trailing edge about 2/3 bill length |
| TERTIALS: | variable; white w/ dark bars, loops, or other small g-b marks; if solid, then pale and not contrasting with upperparts | usually white w/ sparse pale g-b marbling, never contrasting darker than upperparts | as adult | adult gray w/ broad white crescent about same as bill length |
| GREATER COVERTS: | white w/ faint to moderate g-b spots or bars | white w/ irreg g-b marbling | adult gray mixed w/ some pale g-b | adult gray |
| LESSER & MED COVERTS: | white w/ faint to mod g-b subterm U or V-shaped mark, appearing irreg checkered | white w/ irreg g-b markings, appearing mottled | adult gray mixed w/ some pale g-b | adult gray |
| SCAPULARS: | like L&M covs | usually adult gray, often mixed w/ some g-b and white | as adult | adult gray w/ small white crescent |
| BACK: | like L&M covs | similar to scaps | adult gray | adult gray is very pale gray, paler than all Herrings |
| RUMP: | white w/ strong pale g-b bars | white w/ faded g-b bars | white | white |
| TAIL: | varies from totally marbled creamy g-b and white to showing a solid pale g-b band (concolor w/ back) w/ pale fringe, subterm bar, and barring on outermost retrices and across all bases | often w/ distinct g-b subterm band which may contrast darker than upperparts; outer rectrices and bases mottled or washed white | white w/ broken band of streaks | white |