American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 1st cycle V66 December 31 2012 - January 01 2013, Mustang Island, TX. Picture: Tripp Davenport.

See website: The Gulls Of Appledore

V66 was banded as a chick in July of 2012 on Appledore, and had only been spotted one other time in August on the same island. Since then, he or she has obviously traveled quite a bit. Driving, it would be approximately 2,127 miles to get from Appledore to Mustang Island, and over 34 hours! It's the western-most sightings in the history of the gull banding project! This came from Tripp Davenport, who spotted the Herring Gull (V66) on Mustang Island, Port Aransas, Texas located in Nueces County. He wrote that the bird was in the company of a large mixed gull flock resting on the beach, seemed healthy and active, and was more wary of humans than the other gulls present. He got some beautiful photos – including one of the bird feeding on discarded soup bones!

Note the single central MC and LLC replaced in the right wing.