Mew Gull Larus canus canus; heinei; kamtschatschensis; brachyrhynchus

(last update: March 12, 2012)

Mew Gull brachyrhynchus 1st cycle (2CY), January 03 2012, Seattle, WA. Picture: Amar Ayyash.

Overall, when compared to Ring-billed Gull (RBGU), 1st cycle Mew Gulls look more elegant and their plumage appears more "soft" and velvety. Ring-billeds usually show coarsy and messier upperpartss. The chest/neck on Mew is also more smudgy and gives a blurry effect rather than the finer wavy streaks seen on Ring-billed. The primary edges are often pale-edged (like a white-winger) in Mew, and their uppertail and undertail coverts seem more consistently barred. The bill is almost always an obvious field mark too, being much more petite than most RBGUs (and not as brightly pink-based as in RBGU).