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Kamchatka Gull (kamtchatkensis)
IMAGES:
DESCRIPTION:
Adult
KAMCHATKA GULL (16-18";47-48") kamtchatkensis
| BILL SHAPE: rather small, may be slightly thicker than Mew/Common; 3-3.5x eye diam; gon angle small; culmen curve gentle, beginning ½ way out | ||||
| HEAD SHAPE: rounded and dove-like, but may appear angular, like the top half of an octagon | ||||
| WING EXTENSTION: long; 1.5x bill length | ||||
| POSTURE/HABITS: stockier and heavier breasted than Mew/Common | ||||
| FIRST CYCLE | SECOND CYCLE | ADULT | ||
| BILL COLOR: | sharply bicolored; pale flesh w/ black tip to outer 1/3 of bill, less on upper mandible | blue-gray or flesh w/ dark tip | dull yellow; may show dark subterm band w/ brighter yellow tip | |
| LEG COLOR: | dull grayish-pink | blue-gray to dull flesh | greenish-yellow | |
| IRIS/ORB RING: | dark | dark or pale yellow | pale yellow to amber, darker when breeding; orb ring... | |
| HEAD: | covered w/ dark streaks or lines; dark in front of eye; pale around bill; aurs streaked; nape and neck sides thickly spotted | variable streaking over crown and aurs; heavy mottling on nape and neck sides | variable thin streaking on crown, aurs; smudging on nape to breast | |
| UNDERPARTS: | white w/ heavy mottling across breast and down flanks, lighter across belly; dark chevrons on sides of vent | white; some light smudging from nape may extend to breast sides | white | |
|
PRIMARIES (folded): |
blackish | black; may show tiny A-spots | A-spots diminish in size; none on P9-10 (together); tiny on P8; large by P5 | |
|
PRIMARIES (in flight): |
outer Ps blackish; inner Ps pale w/ dark subterm spots | P9-10 black; large mirror on P10; small mirror on P9; black to P5; black on upper P covs | extensive black on P8-10; large mirrors on P9-10; thin black band possible on P5; white tongues on P5-7 | |
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SECONDARIES (in flight): |
dark w/ pale fringe; underwing covs pale w/ thick dark edges, appearing mottled and darker than Ring-billed | as adult; underwing covs white w/ dark edges | adult gray w/ broad white trailing edge, about 3/4 bill length | |
| TERTIALS: | dark w/ broad pale crescents at tips | as adult | adult gray w/ large white crescent, about 3/4-1x bill length | |
| GREATER COVERTS: | solid pale g-b w/ pale edges, fading to all white by summer | adult gray | adult gray | |
| LESSER & MED COVERTS: | solid med g-b V-shaped centers w/ narrow pale edges; appearing darker than GCs; prone to fade | adult gray | adult gray | |
| SCAPULARS: | adult gray or brown w/ pale edges | as adult | adult gray w/ small white crescent | |
| BACK: | adult gray w/ hints of brown and pale edges | adult gray | adult gray is med gray, same as Mew | |
| RUMP: | variably barred; may appear white at a distance | white | white | |
| TAIL: | white w/ broad black band w/ pale fringe; white outermost webs; some dark on inner webs may be visible on outer retrices from above | white w/ irreg black subterm marks | white | |