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Mew Gull (brachyrhynchus)
IMAGES:
DESCRIPTION:
First Cycle
Adult
MEW GULL(16-18"; 47-48") brachyrhynchus
| BILL SHAPE: small and slim; smaller than Ring-billed; 2-3x eye diam; gon angle very small; culmen curve gentle, beginning ½ way out | ||||
| HEAD SHAPE: small, dainty, and dove-like | ||||
| WING EXTENSTION: 1.5 - 2 x bill length | ||||
| POSTURE/HABITS: often flies low over water, picking at the surface with its bill | ||||
| FIRST CYCLE | SECOND CYCLE | ADULT | ||
| BILL COLOR: | flesh w/ slightly blurred black outer 1/3, outer ½ on lower mand | blue-gray or flesh w/ blurred dark tip | pale yellow; often w/ faint dark subterm band (esp on lower mand) w/ brighter yellow tip | |
| LEG COLOR: | pink to grayish pink (blue-gray possible) | blue-gray to dull flesh | greenish-yellow to dirty yellow or mustard | |
| IRIS/ORB RING: | dark | dark | dull yellow or amber to brownish (pale yellow rare) | |
| HEAD: | covered w/ blurred g-b streaks; pale near bill; aurs fairly solid; aur edge palest; may appear mottled | streaking or spotting over entire head, denser around nape to breast sides; appears more white than adult | lightly streaked on forehead, spotted on crown; variable smudging over rest of head, neck, and upper breast; center breast usually clean | |
| UNDERPARTS: | center breast pale; sides, flanks, and belly extensively mottled, w/ belly often solid g-b; vent thickly barred | extensive mottling on breast; upper belly variable; lower belly white | white; breast markings may extend down flanks | |
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PRIMARIES (folded): |
dark brown or blackish w/ thin pale edges forming crescents | blackish w/ hint of pale A-spots | A-spots diminish in size; A5 larger than eye; A6 the same as eye; A8 tiny; none on A9-10 (together) | |
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PRIMARIES (in flight): |
outer Ps dark brown, though w/ paler inner webs; inner Ps pale w/ dark subterm spots | P9-10 mostly black; black tips and longer black outer webs on P5-8; variable mirrors on P9-10; black on upper P covs | limited black on all Ps; larger mirrors on P9-10; large white tongues on P5-8; thin black band possible on P5 | |
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SECONDARIES (in flight): |
dark brown w/ pale fringe; underwing covs mostly med g-b | as adult; underwing covs white w/ extensive brown edges | adult gray w/ broad white trailing edge, about 3/4 bill length | |
| TERTIALS: | med to very dark g-b w/ pale edges; may include pale areas near shaft at tip | as adult, but may have dark markings | adult gray w/ large white crescent, about 3/4 to 1 times bill length | |
| GREATER COVERTS: | pale w/ single row of g-b subterm spots; fading to all white by summer | adult gray | adult gray | |
| LESSER & MED COVERTS: | med g-b w/ pale fringe, creating scaled look | adult gray | adult gray | |
| SCAPULARS: | adult gray w/ hints of g-b and pale fringes when fresh | as adult | adult gray w/ small white crescent, about 1/3 bill length | |
| BACK: | as scapulars | adult gray | adult gray is med gray, close to Calif Gull, same as Kamchatka | |
| RUMP: | white w/ extensive dark V-marks or irreg bars | white | white | |
| TAIL: | solid dark g-b w/ pale fringe; bases of outer retrices slightly paler | white w/ irreg broken black band or subterm marks | white | |