> >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


Pale wingtips, gray mantle, dark eye, pink feet? Am I missing something
here? Is there a reason previous posters have avoided suggesting
Glaucous-winged Gull? Aside from the black on the bill, it sounds pretty
typical for 3rd basic (i.e. 3rd winter) or adult basic plumaged GWG. Many
third winter gulls retain some dark on the bill, so I didn't see that as a
problem. I guess maybe if the size were identical to ringbills that would
eliminate GWG, but no comparative size was given, and trying to think in
inches in the field is notoriously unreliable (for me and most birders I
know, no personal slight intended to Michael Brown). I keep coming back to
those
pale wingtips on a gull that otherwise is colored like a winter ringbill
with extra mottling in the head/neck area... (I am not overlooking
Glaucous Gull, GWG just seemed like the obvious first choice, and Michael
didn't specify *white* wingtips, just pale.

I don't know where the sighting took place - maybe the location
ruled out GWG and I missed that.


Chris Hill

Seattle
cehill at u.washington.edu