American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 1106-21207 1st cycle (2CY), March 07 2015, Dartmouth, NS. Picture: Jim Edsall.

This bird was banded 900km away near St. Thomas, Newfoundland in 2014.

Typically for northern hatched birds, this bird has only partly moulted the scapulars. Upper scaps are 2nd gen feathers; coverts, tertials and lower scaps are all still juvenile. Part of the head moulted as well, new feathers typically stand out as grey body feathers, where the older juvenile feathers are brown (hence, head feathers replaced for grey 2nd gen feathers, hindneck shows old brown juvenile feathers, mantle again grey 2nd gen feathers. Bill base turning paler.