American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) ZM / tag X14 adult, January 25 2013, St John's, Newfoundland. Picture: Peter Adriaens.

As part of a larger study, Alex and his colleages put wing tags on 37 adult Herring Gulls on Gull Island in the Witless Bay Seabird Ecological Reserve off Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula.  The tags are beige with black codes like “X07" or "X29". The birds were also fitted with the black-on-orange colour bands that have been used in Newfoundland for many years.  We know from other band returns that Newfoundland’s breeding Herring Gulls range from southern Labrador to the Carolinas. Any resights can be reported to the Bird Banding Office/Bird Banding Lab (www.reportband.gov), or directly to me at alex.bond@usask.ca.
See also ZE / X03 on the nest.

ZM / X14: large mirror on P10. Much black on underside P10 with isolated white 'island in the black'. Full band on P10.