American Herring Gull (smithsonianus)

(last update: October 30, 2015)

American Herring Gull (smithsonianus) 5cy & 7cy E81 November 2010 & January 2012, Newcastle Commons, NH. Picture: Lauren Kras.

See website: The Gulls Of Appledore

Lauren also spotted E81 at Newcastle Commons, NH on New Years Day for one of the first resights of 2012! E81 was banded as a chick at Sandpiper Beach in 2006. Lauren spotted E81 previously in February 2009 and several times in the fall of 2010, all at Newcastle Commons.

The dispersal patterns of gulls can vary greatly with some gulls traveling as far away as the Gulf of Mexico and Canada, like the Appledore Lesser Black-backed Gull (F05) in Florida and 9R7 in Canada. Other gulls appear to go no farther than the NH coast, like C17, E81, and 7P1. This variation raises many questions about what factors affect gull dispersal and winter behavior, which makes every resight so important.

below: 7cy E81 January 01 2012, Newcastle Commons, NH. Picture: Lauren Kras.

below: 5cy E81 November 03 2010, Newcastle Commons, NH. Picture: Lauren Kras.

At Great Island Common, Newcastle, NH.