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second cycle Thayer's Gull
	Fig 1) The marbled tertials and greater coverts, as well as the emerging adult gray on the back, mark this as a second year bird. Note the small head and thin bill, as well as the pale crescents at the tips of the primaries. In flight, this bird will be quite pale, with nearly white wings from below. February 24, 1998. San Francisco Bay area, California. Photo courtesy of Mike Rogers.

Fig 2) All gulls are highly variable in second cycle. Even though this bird has little adult gray in the mantle, the marbled pattern on the coverts indicates second cycle, not first. Note it still sports a mostly dark bill and a typical Thayer's primary pattern. March 16, 2011. Davis, California. Photo courtesy of Steve Hampton.