American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)
(last update: October 30, 2015)
American Herring Gull 4cy August
The Peterson Reference Guides
GULLS OF THE AMERICAS
- Steve N.G. Howell / Jon Dunn -
Below is a copy of chapter 25 about American Herring Gull, illustrated with images from this website. "we" in the text below refers to the original authors. If any errors occur in this text, please let me know and mail to marsmuusseatgmaildotcom.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)
PART 1: IDENTIFICATION SUMMARY
PART 2: FIELD IDENTIFICATION - ADULT CYCLE
PART 3: FIELD IDENTIFICATION - FIRST CYCLE
PART 4: FIELD IDENTIFICATION - SECOND & THIRD CYCLE
PART 5: RARER SPECIES
PART 6: DESCRIPTION & MOLT IN ADULT CYCLE
PART 7: DESCRIPTION & MOLT IN FIRST & SECOND CYCLE (BELOW)
DESCRIPTION & MOLT
Third Cycle.
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle in PB3 moult, June 13 2012, Chicago IL (Amar Ayyash). Complete moult started indicated by fresh MC's, so inner primaries should be missing/growing in this bird. Most birds pale eyed by this date. |
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle in PB3 moult, June 13 2012, Chicago IL (Amar Ayyash). Complete moult started: P1-P3 fully grown, P4 growing, P6-P10 old; pattern on new inner primaries adult-like grey without brown wash. |
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle, August 13 2013, Stratford, CT (Donna Rae Henault Caporaso). Bird in active moult, moult stage P6/P10. Hardly any adult-like grey scapulars, bird still looking verey immature but note bold white tips on P4 and P5. |
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle, February 09 2008, Dryden, NY (Mike). 2nd cycle and 3rd cycle birds best aged on inner primaries pattern. However, this is an easy bird to age, with very immature upperparts, combined with typical 3rd gen primaries: black with small but obvious white tips and an obvious mirror on P10. |
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle K10 December 17 2013, Circle Beach, CT (Keith Mueller). Banded in 2011. 3rd generation flight feathers, with mirror visible on underside of P10. Bill pale yellow with much black. Scapulars still not completely grey (still no "grey saddle") but as winter progresses, moult in this region may continue and 3rd cycle birds in spring (next year) may show more grey in this respect. |
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle Washington 1146 March 10 2012, Rockland, ME (Jonathan Mays). Large mirror on P10 and prominent white tips (albeit worn by March) on outer primaries in combination with much immature plumage. Ring code not complete. |
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle, November 09 2013, Clinton Co, IL (Amar Ayyash). Aged by adult-like grey P1-P2 and adult-like pattern on P4-P6, also mirror on P10. Note much black on tail and centres of secondaries. Already deep pale tongue on P8. |
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 3rd cycle, January 04 2012, Whiting, IN (Amar Ayyash). Aged on inner primary pattern and adult type central tertials replaced in partial autumn moult. No mirror on P10 (hence outer primaries in resting bird would look like in 2nd cycle. |
Complete PB3 molt (May/June-Nov./Dec.) produces third basic plumage: highly variable. Some retarded plumages resemble second cycle but average more gray on upperparts; note adult-like gray inner primaries with broad white tips, blackish subterminal bands on middle primaries, usually less black in tail. More advanced plumages variably resemble basic adult but average more dusky streaking and mottling on underparts; upperwing coverts often washed or variably mottled brownish; tertials typically with dark brown to blackish centers; white tips to remiges narrower. Tail varies from all white to blackish (up to 30% have mostly blackish tails like second cycle, 13% have all-white tails, Poor 1946); tail often extensively blackish but, relative to second-cycle birds, with more white at basal corners and distally. Wingtip pattern averages more black and less white than adult, with variable blackish on primary coverts and alula; P9 typically lacks mirror, and P10 mirror small or absent. Underwings have some dusky mottling on coverts. Eyes pale lemon (rarely dusky); bill flesh pink with black distal band and pale tip, often with some reddish at gonys; legs flesh pink. Partial PA3 molt (Sept.-Mar./May) into third alternate plumage: dark markings on head and neck reduced to absent; bill brighter and may be indistinguishable from adult or have dark distal marks. White tips to outer primaries often lost by wear. Adult plumage attained by complete PB4 molt (May/June-Dec.) but many fourth-cycle birds retain signs of immaturity on alula, primary coverts, and tail. (Poor 1946)
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, February 09 2008, Dryden, NY (Mike). Overall much adult-like but with obvious immature central tertials (black ink-spot), some brown feathers in the carpal edge and relatively much black on bill. Note lack of obvious white primary tips. |
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, May 25 2012, Monhegan Island, ME (Jonathan Mays). Note dark tertial centres and brown wash on some coverts. Probably male, with partner behind. |
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| American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, September 03 2013, Stratford, CT (Donna Rae Henault Caporaso). P6/P9. Dark patterned old rectrices, and white new central feathers. Extensive black on visible secondaries (exposed now the greater coverts have been dropped). | American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, February 20 2010, Wisconsin (Chris West). Obvious dark markings in greater primary coverts and some black in tail. |
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, December 02 2012, Milwaukee, WI (Amar Ayyash). Classic bird. Black in tail; other signs of immaturity: bill colour and markings in greater primary coverts.
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American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) near-adult, February 24 2008, Newfoundland (Bruce Mactavish). Note vestiges of black on centre of primary coverts and in the rectrices, an indication of younger adult. Sub-terminal black band on P10 broken at the shaft. Small mirror on P9 confined to inner-web. P8-P7 with black "bayonet" along outer edge, but 'bayonet-step' in black not obvious. P5 band broken at the centre, lacking drawn-out characteristic black W-pattern. |
HYBRIDS
Hybridizes commonly with Glaucous-winged Gull in s.-cen. Alaska, and south locally to s. British Columbia (R.J. Cannings pers. comm.; Merilees 1974; Patten 1980; WiIIiamson & Peyton 1963); with Glaucous Gull in nw. Canada (Spear 1987) and presumably ne. Canada (B. Mactavish pers. comm.) and presumably with Great Black-backed Gull. (Foxall 1979). Extralimital cases of hybridization with California Gull in Colorado (Chase 1984), Kelp Gull in Louisiana (Dittman & Cardiff 2005); and presumed with Lesser Black-backed Gull in e. N. America (McWilliams and Brauning 2000) (and see pp.490 Gulls in the Americas).
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Glaucous-winged Gull x American Herring Gull adult, November 20 2011, Westmoreland Park, OR (Amar Ayyash). Pale eyed bird, with many traits of Glaucous-winged Gull. |
Glaucous-winged Gull x American Herring Gull adult, December 30 2011, Tukwila, WA (Amar Ayyash). Glaucous-winged is known for its hybrids with Western Gull (so-called Olympic Gulls), but there also seem to be no shortage of Glaucous-winged x Herring Gulls (so-called Cook Inlet Gulls). These Cook Inlet Gulls tend to show smaller bills than Olympic Gulls. |
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| Glaucous Gull x Herring Gull 1st cycle, December 23 2008, St John's, Newfoundland (Brandon Holden).Primary pigmentation not good for Glaucous Gull. | Glaucous Gull x Herring Gull 2nd cycle, March 17 2007, Newfoundland (Bruce Mactavish). Note primary pattern. |
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| Glaucous Gull x Herring Gull 2nd cycle, 2nd cycle, December 24 2007, Newfoundland (Kirk Zufelt). Head shape and especially primary pigmentation not good for pure Glaucous Gull. | Glaucous Gull x Herring Gull 2nd cycle, March 16 2006, Newfoundland (Bruce Mactavish). Note primary pattern. |
East Coast birds
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) H98 4CY, August 04 2010, Jenness Beach, NH. Picture: Lauren Kras.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) H99 4CY & 7CY, August 2010 & January 2013, NH. Picture: Jon Worthen & Lauren Kras.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) R37 moulting into 4th cycle (4CY), August 11 2015, Hampton Beach State Park, NH. Picture: Jackie Gauthier.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) R77 4CY, August 26 2015, Hampton, NH. Picture: Robbie & Colleen Prieto.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) V08 4CY, August 26 2015, Hampton, NH. Picture: Robbie & Colleen Prieto.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, August 04 2012, Maine, USA. Picture: Dominic Mitchell.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) sub-adult, August 15 2005, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia. Picture: Jim Frazier.
American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 4CY, August 13 2013, Stratford, CT, USA. Picture: Donna Rae Henault Caporaso.