>Dennis,
> Operating from a very small experience base, I made an initial ID of
>a first winter Glaucous-winged gull. Overall, it was very light colored.
>The bill was black, and there was no noticeable darkening of the wing tips.
>The Red-tail was a juvenile.
>Michael Brown
>MBEB1215 at delphi.com
>Puyallup

Thanks, Michael. Actually, the National Geographic Society guide is pretty
good for gull identification. The paintings are quite accurate, with the
added caveat that many Glaucous-winged Gulls in this area have wingtips
slightly darker gray than those shown in the painting, which are at the
pale end of the variation. And many birds in this area are Western x
Glaucous-winged hybrids, which confuses the issue and at times causes
people to think they are seeing more Herring Gulls than are really here.
The very pale eye in the adult Herring Gull and the very strong contrast
between pale gray mantle and black wingtips serve as good marks for
Herring.


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