American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

Coordinators:
Amar Ayyash (US)
Bruce Mactavish (Canada)
Dave Brown (Canada)
Mars Muusse (Netherlands)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) adult, February 24 2008, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Picture: Bruce Mactavish.

Clean white primary coverts and absence of any vestiges of black point to full adult. Difficult bird from a W European point of view, with the sub-terminal black band on P10 broken. White innerweb on P10 lacking characteristic 90 degrees angle (black running back along edge here). Long tongue on P10 but medial band still broader than mirror on P10. Black on P9 'almost' reaches to primary coverts in a dark smudge. P5 with W-pattern classic for smithsonianus.