American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

Slaty-backed Gull (schistisagus) adult, January 02 2010, Choshi, Japan. Picture: Chris Gibbins.

Please visit Chris's Blog for many more pictures! Sloped forehead and elongated bill result in a 'snouty look', similar to many Scandinavian Herring Gulls (well illustrated by this bird).

Chris: "This pale bird troubled me. It was paler than the one discussed earlier, though this does not come across particularly well in this image. In the field it was only fractionally darker than the darkest Vega Gulls present alongside, and hence (approximately) at the extreme upper limit of L.a. argentatus. I left it unidentified at the time, but clearly such birds are key to resolving the Rainham debate. The white primary tips appear a fraction smaller than other birds photographed during this trip in Japan, but this may be due as much to wear as anything else."