Thayer's Gull (thayeri)

(last update: January 22, 2013)

Coordinators:
Amar Ayyash (USA)
Mars Muusse (Netherlands)

Thayer's Gull 1cy August (juvenile)

On this page, you'll find some Thayer's Gull in complete juvenile plumage, together with some similar looking species. Classified from large-dark down to pale-small.

American Herring Gull - juvenile


American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) juvenile, August 25 2010, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Picture: Dave Brown. Still juvenile plumage - all scapulars still juvenile. Note head dimension, with strong bill and fierce look.


American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) juvenile, October 08 2006, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Picture: Bruce Mactavish. Still juvenile plumage - all scapulars still juvenile.

Thayer's Gull - juvenile


Thayer's Gull juvenile, October 21 2012, Wisconsin Point, Douglas County, Wisconsin. Picture: Peder Svingen. Still juvenile plumage - all scapulars still juvenile. Smaller head than Herring Gull, and, although the gonys angle is more obvious in this bird, the bill is slender.


Thayer's Gull juvenile, November 12 2007, Lucchesi Park, Petaluma, CA. Picture: Steve Mlodinow. Still juvenile plumage - all scapulars still juvenile. Rounded head and fine bill suggest female.

Thayer's Gull - 1st basic with some scapulars replaced


Thayer's Gull first cycle, January 28 2012, Ilwaco, Pacific County, Washington. Picture: Charlie Wright. Some scapulars replaced for 2nd generation feathers (see close-up below).

Thayer's Gull / Kumlien's Gull intermediate- juvenile


Kumlien's / Thayer's Gull juvenile, November 12 2007, Lucchesi Park, Petaluma, CA. Picture: Tony Leukering. Jizz nice for Thayer's but overall paleness may indicate influences of Kumlien's Gull genes.

Kumlien's Gull - juvenile


Kumlien's Gull juvenile / first cycle, January 18 2009. Picture: Tim Lenz. Bird at darker end of the spectrum. Still juvenile plumage - all scapulars still juvenile.


Kumlien's Gull juvenile, October 30 2008, Dryden, NY, US. Picture: Tom Johnson. This individual seems to be the earliest ever recorded in the Cayuga Lake Basin, first noted at Stewart Park, Ithaca by Paul Hurtado on 23 October.

 
Distribution of Thayer's Gull. Breeding areas, migration routes and wintering areas. FROM: "Gulls of the Americas" by Steve Howell & Jon Dunn.
Distribution of Kumlien's Gull. Breeding areas, migration routes and wintering areas. FROM: "Gulls of the Americas" by Steve Howell & Jon Dunn.
Distribution of hybrid gull taxa in Gull. Selected zones of hybridisation in the nortrh Pacific / Bering Sea region. FROM: "Gulls of the Americas" by Steve Howell & Jon Dunn.