American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

Slaty-backed Gull (schistisagus) adult, February 19 2014, Akkeshi, Hokkaidoi, Japan.

See abcdefgewings's Flickr photostream for more pictures from Japan.

Bulky bird. Upperpart grey tone as in Lesser Black-backed Gull; this bird with pale iris and streaking all over the head. Medium-sized mirrors on outer two primaries, normally with full sub-terminal bands on both P9 and P10, but band broken on P10 here. Note very broad white tips of tertials, which continues on the tips of the secondaries. Red only on lower mandible, red orbital ring. Bubblegum pink legs.