American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

Hybrid smithsonianus x graellsii 1st & 2nd cycle F02 March & December 2009 & February 2010. Photo by Blair Nikula & Mitchell Harris.

See website: The Gulls Of Appledore

F02 is offspring of the LBBG x HERG pair on Appledore (see F01 here), ringed as pullus July 21 2008.

below: hybrid 2nd cycle F02 December 13 2009, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Photo by Blair Nikula.

F02 at Cape Cod, Massachusetts December 13 2009. Note blackish 2nd gen primaries and rather extensive partial autumn moult, including upper tertials, inner GC, most of the visible MC and LLC and randomly several LC. Scapulars almost entirely adult-like grey. Obviously darker than surrounding Herrings.

below: hybrid 2nd cycle F02 February 24 2010, Cocoa Landfill, Brevard County, FL. Photo: Mitchell Harris.

Found by Mitchell Harris, in Florida, who picked out this bird among approximately 40,000 gulls (200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 600 Herring Gulls) currently at the landfill.

below: hybrid 2nd cycle F02 March 20, 2009, Cocoa Landfill, Brevard County, FL. Photo: Mitchell Harris.

Mitchell Harris observed a banded gull at a landfill in Brevard County, Florida; he thought the bird looked like a LBBG and took some photos. We received his report and photos and the bird did appear to be F02.

Note replaced inner GC and upper tertials. All scaps replaced as well.

below: the parent, Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii F05 January 17 2015, New Smyrna Beach, FL. John Kendall.

P10 still growing.