American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) K30 2CY & 6CY, August 2011 & July-September 2015, Hampton Beach, NH. Picture: Gustine Silva-Burke, Robbie & Colleen Prieto.

See website: The Gulls Of Appledore

K30, this Herring Gull was banded as a hatch-year HERG on Appledore Island on July 15, 2010.

below: American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) K30 6CY, September 13 2015, Hampton beach, NH. Picture: Robbie & Colleen Prieto.

Please visit Robbie's & Colleen's Flick photos for more pictures.

Still in complete moult: P6/P10, P7 almost as long as P6.

below: American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) K30 6CY, July 01 2015, Hampton Beach State Park, NH. Picture: Robbie & Colleen Prieto.

All outer primaries still present. Still, it's possible to tell this bird commenced the complete moult, as the new median and lower lesser coverts are growing in. So, although not visible, it's pretty safe to assume the inner primaries have been dropped as well in K30.

below: American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) K30 2CY, August 27 2011, Hampton Beach, NH. Picture: Gustine Silva-Burke.

September 05 2011 and the gull population of Appledore Island is dispersing for parts far and wide. Gull numbers and gull aggressiveness are both quite reduced on Appledore; no longer are innocent walkers buzzed and ‘bombed’ by the nesting gulls. After a busy summer of banding and re-sighting banded gulls, Appledore students and researchers appreciate the reduced harassment provided by the gulls.

K30, a second-year Herring Gull still moulting the outermost primaries. Soon it will show the complete 2nd cycle plumage.