>......... I haven't seen what I was convinced was a glaucous x herring
>hybrid, including in Chukotka where Siberian herring and glaucous breed in
>the same areas commonly. I think they don't overlap a whole lot in Alaska
>(at least not as much as glaucous and glaucous-winged or herring and
>glaucous-winged), but they certainly do overlap, both there and in Canada,
>and hybrids have been reported on the Pacific coast. I'd love to see a
>photo of what someone considered such a hybrid in this area.
>

Interesting. Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize that Herring and
Glaucous-winged overlapped so much. Are hybrids of this type known?

Perhaps my logic is flawed, but the birds I've identified as Glaucous x
Herring hybrids have all been first or second year birds which have huge
"dipped in ink" bills, and light inner primaries contrasting with dark
outer primaries, among other things. They have all been huge. There
were several birds of this type on Sauvie Island during the winter of
92/93, when the Slaty-backed Gulls were present. I've seen others along
the Oregon coast as well. I'm sure I've got a photo or two. I'll be
interested to hear what you think. Perhaps a trip up north with a
bucketload of interesting gull slides is in order. What do you think,
Bob?

Skip
--
Skip_Russell at intersolv.com
Aloha, Oregon