American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

Coordinators:
Amar Ayyash (US)
Bruce Mactavish (Canada)
Dave Brown (Canada)
Mars Muusse (Netherlands)

Slaty-backed Gull (schistisagus) 2nd cycle (2CY), October 12 2012, Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan. Picture: Shiroto.

Visit Shiroto's website for many more gull pictures from Japan!

End of the complete moult. 2nd gen flight feathers: outer primaries with rounded tips, narrow white tips on 2nd gen secondaries and much dark in rectrices. Pale iris and pale pink base to bill. Older scapulars start to bleach, with narrow dark shaft streak. Scapulars and coverts with simple pattern, lacking obvious notching (no post-stamp pattern on fringes of the coverts; coverts with wedge-shaped dark centres), just some fine lining on the inner GC.