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presumed |
 Figs 1) This bird resembles a Glaucous Gull, but with gray primaries and some dark brown tones to the coverts and body. Note also the black bleeding into the bill base. December 31, 2011. Davis, California. Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton. |
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Figs 2 and 3) This gull could be Glaucous-winged x Glaucous, but these things suggest the
other parent was Herring: the pale eye,
straight-sided bill, lack of extensive black in the bill, and darker outer primaries
relative to the inner primaries. That's an adult Thayer's in the background of Fig 3.
January 17, 2013. Davis, California. Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton.
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 Figs 4 and 5) The combination of marbled tertials, pale eye, dark on bill, and mixture of adult gray and brown on the upperparts mark this as a second year bird. Second year Herring Gulls can appear quite pale, but note the whitish wing coverts, pale crescents on the primaries, and classic pink and black tipped Glaucous bill. In flight, note the very pale wing surfaces, with quite limited dark areas on the outer primaries and secondaries. San Francisco Bay area, California. Photos courtesy of Mike Rogers. |
| Fig 6) The adult gray mantle suggests this is a second cycle bird, although the faded coverts make assessing age difficult. The black bleeding back into the bill it too much for a pure Glaucous Gull, and the primaries are too dark. Adult Herring Gull in the foreground. February 20, 2012. Davis, California. Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton. |