glaucoides - kumlieni

(last update: January 26, 2012)

Iceland / Kumlien's Gull 2cy, March 02 2010, Sandgerdi, SW Iceland. Picture: Hans Larsson.

Age 2cy: showing dark bill with slightly paler base; dark iris. First image: with 2cy Herring or 2cy Herring x Glaucous Gull.

Primary category: --

Pattern of vermiculation, bird showing grey-brown on centres of inner primaries and secondaries, most prominent as vermiculation on outer-webs of secondaries (note the relative shade when comparing right and left wing!). Outer primaries not contrasting with inner primaries, though sub-terminal patterns near the tip becoming less developed outwards. Pattern on tail creating broad tail-band.

Note: Hans Larsson presents many images on this site, all birds photographed late February - early March in Iceland. Identification on sub-species level is tentative in these birds, as both Canadian kumlieni and nominate glaucoides (bulk of the birds of course) may be expected late winter. On location, most birds will belong to pale glaucoides, (and most are readily identified as such, showing very pale to white plumage), but in the spectrum, the exact line between dark glaucoides and pale kumlieni is still subject of debate and birds in this overlapping zone may probably best left unidentified at time present.
See als Hans Larsson's website.