back to the Gull ID MainPage

adult Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull

Fig 1) Based on the dark in the bill, this bird is probably a fourth year bird. It seems much like a Herring Gull, perhaps slightly darker mantled. However, note the underside of the folded primary: it's basically white. This bird would seem quite white-winged in flight from below. The very pale eye, bill shape and rather light mantle shade point away from Gl-W x Western and toward Gl-W x Herring. The head and neck streaking are also Herring-like, though washed out in the photo. November 27, 2000. Palo Alto Baylands, California. Photo courtesy of Mike Rogers.

Fig 2) Paler-eyed Thayer's Gull in foreground; adult Glaucous-winged x Herring behind. Adult birds can look superficially like Vega Gulls-- a Herring-like gull with a slightly darker mantle, a dark eye, and a red orbital ring. One key difference, evident here, is the underside of P10 on the far right edge of the photo. Note the lack of black inside the apical spot on the far wingtip (even more obvious in Figure 1). December 17, 2011. Davis, California. Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton.

Fig 3) This one looks like a Herring Gull in mantle and primaries, but a Glaucous-winged in the head and bill. Not the small, dark eye, very thick bill (with dark mark), and light head smudging (somewhat washed out here). The rather pale mantle suggests the other parent is Herring, not Western. December 27, 2011. Redding, California. Photo courtesy of Ray Bruun.

Fig 4) The dark eye, head smudging, and darker mantle suggest Gl-W Gull, but the darker primaries suggest a hybrid. This photo comes from Alaska, the home of Gl-W x Herring hybrids (sometimes called the "Cook Inlet Gull"). March 7, 2009. Cordova, Alaska. Photo courtesy of John Moran.