Subject: Re: Western Gull/Herring Gull query
Date: Oct 16 17:05:04 1997
From: Jim Elder - jime at eskimo.com


Michael,

Probably you're right. It was the yellow eye that really threw me.
Actually I looked in Grant's book but somehow missed the eye color
description there. Maybe it was that screaming baby in the background
distracting me. As for the wymani race (which apparently should have a
yellow eye) the mantle color wasn't even close to dark enough. Too bad
since that would be much better than either a Herring Gull or a Western
Gull (of the usual race). Still hybrid is probably the best explanation
as it had an unusual combination of characteristics for any single
species.

On Thu, 16 Oct 1997, Michael Price wrote:

>
> This sounds like a Western X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid, Jim, as someone
> suggested, 'Olympic Gull'. A Western should be much, not slightly, darker
> than a Herring Gull wich is as pale or paler than a GWGU. The white head is
> indicative of Western, the paler mantle of Glaucous-winged. The wingtip
> pattern suggests that parentage also. Both Western and GWGU typically have a
> dark brown iris but some individuals have less pigment and tend toward paler
> and paler amber or as you call it, honey color, not all the clear
> citron-yellow of birds in the Herring complex. Some extreme individuals of
> WEGU, GWGU, or hybrids totally lacking dark pigmentation have a white iris.
>
> Wingtip pattern is all over the lot: pale grey both sides to black both
> sides, every combination and shade in between; likewise mantle color.
>
> Gail Spitler writes:
>
> >Peter Grant (the one with a J as his middle initial) says that the iris of
> >the adult Western Gull is yellowish -white (especially wymani) to dull
> >yellowish-brown (especially nominate occidentals); orbital ring yellow to
> >orange.
>
> I'm still sad Peter Grant died far too early. What a loss. I wish he were
> still alive to 1) have continued to enjoy his life; 2) have continued to
> provide these wonderful family summaries such as 'Gulls, a guide to
> identification; and 3) so we could clear this Western Gull iris color thing
> up. Overwhelmingly, the 'occidentalis' WEGU I've seen have had dark brown
> irides; still the majority have been Def Basic adults near landfills in
> winter, and likewise both GWGU and their hybrids.
>
> Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
> Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
> mprice at mindlink.net
>
>

Jim Elder (jime at eskimo.com)
SEA, Inc.
7030 220th St SW
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043