Thanks Liam. There were numerous Western gulls in the area where this image was recorded, hunting on uncovered tidal flats and, exhibiting a behavior I did not realize they practiced, diving from the sea surface, like ducks. Anyway, it seems juvenile Western, Glacous-winged or a hybrid of those two are all possible species IDs.
If the primaries are pale gray, Glaucous-winged is possible. However, in your location hybrids often outnumber pure birds, so it could be a Glaucous-winged x Western hybrid.
The grey mottling and dark bill indicates a juvenile, gulls take 3-4 years to reach adult plumage. That still leaves about a dozen possibilities for actual species likely in that area.
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Thanks Liam. There were numerous Western gulls in the area where this image was recorded, hunting on uncovered tidal flats and, exhibiting a behavior I did not realize they practiced, diving from the sea surface, like ducks. Anyway, it seems juvenile Western, Glacous-winged or a hybrid of those two are all possible species IDs.
If the primaries are pale gray, Glaucous-winged is possible. However, in your location hybrids often outnumber pure birds, so it could be a Glaucous-winged x Western hybrid.
Thanks, Malcolm. I take education wherever I can get it.
The grey mottling and dark bill indicates a juvenile, gulls take 3-4 years to reach adult plumage. That still leaves about a dozen possibilities for actual species likely in that area.