>This morning, on the football field north of my school, I saw a
>
>gull I couldn't identify. It was about 17", maybe a little bigger.
>
>It had a pale gray mantle with wingtips the same shade (or nearly).
>
>The abdomen was white. Head, nape, upper back and breast mottled
>
>with brownish gray. Legs and feet pink. Dark eyes. Near complete
>
>subterminal black ring on bill. Impression was of a Ring-billed
>
>Gull but with dark eyes, pink legs, and pale wingtips. Any ideas?
>
>
>
>Michael Brown
>
>MBEB1215 at DELPHI.COM
>
>Puyallup, Washington

Were there any other gulls around for size comparison? I myself never
expend much energy trying to estimate lengths of birds, as I don't have any
way of doing so at a distance. But if there are other species for
comparison, you're in business.

Were the mantle and wingtips entirely pale gray, unmarked? I don't suppose
you saw the tail; you wouldn't if it didn't take flight. Immature
ring-bills have dark eyes and pink legs (as do immatures of lots of gulls,
and numerous gulls go through a stage in which there is a subterminal bill
ring), but certainly not pale wingtips. Without more info or a photo, I
really don't have any ideas.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416