Thayer's Gull (thayeri)

(last update: January 22, 2013)

Thayer's Gull adult October 28 2011, Elwha River, Clallam County, WA USA. Picture: Steven Mlodinow.

Visit: Steven's Flickr photostream.

P8/-. Note that the outer primaries have not fully grown in yet, the bill is still rather vivid yellow. Birds like this can be hard to distinguish from GW x Herring Gull, especially as some have paler eyes and more smudgy head/chest markings. Compare to hybrid photographed on same day. In flight photos, the birds heft and proportional bill size seems harder to judge.