glaucoides - kumlieni

(last update: January 26, 2012)

Iceland / Kumlien's Gull 4cy, March 01 2010, Njardvik, SW Iceland. Picture: Hans Larsson.

Age 4cy: showing almost clean bill with only dark spot on lower mandible, several immature patterns on coverts and tertials, markings on underwing coverts and rectrices, pale (amber-yellow) iris, some grey scapulars.

Primary category: --

Very patterned bird, believed to be at the dark end of the spectrum of glaucoides, but probably better left unidentified, as it shows characteristics overlapping in dark glaucoides - pale kumlieni. Much mottling and patterning on body and coverts. Outer primaries with brown markings, outer primaries darker than inner primaries, but pattern not typical for kumlieni (no impression / echo of thayeri pattern). Very contrasting tail pattern better suits kumlieni.

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.