Birding Boy 1,120 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Hi all, Yesterday I saw what I’m confident was an Iceland gull, what I’m not sure of however is subspecies. Monroe, Michigan, yesterday. Maybe a pale Thayer’s? Thanks! Unfortunately I did not obtain spread wing shots. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jefferson Shank 1,256 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I'm pretty sure that it is an Iceland, but I am not sure on the subspecies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aidan B 559 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 It looks like Thayer's to me, Iceland should be whiter, almost like a Glaucous Gull 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jefferson Shank 1,256 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 It looks like Thayer's to me, Iceland should be whiter, almost like a Glaucous Gull I was meaning the actual Iceland Gull, and yes I was leaning toward Thayer's too. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aidan B 559 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 1 minute ago, Jefferson Shank said: I was meaning the actual Iceland Gull, and yes I was leaning toward Thayer's too. Oops, I meant to say Kumlieni, not Iceland. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Birding Boy 1,120 Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Thanks! Will report it as such. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlexHenry 1,294 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 I'd say Thayeri/kumlieni but I've been wrong on these before... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IKLland 337 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 16 hours ago, Aidan B said: It looks like Thayer's to me, Iceland should be whiter, almost like a Glaucous Gull Yeah Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlexHenry 1,294 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 17 hours ago, Aidan B said: It looks like Thayer's to me, Iceland should be whiter, almost like a Glaucous Gull Iceland Gull shows a full spectrum from clean white primaries (glaucoides), to gray primaries (Kumlien’s), to black (Thayer’s). It is related to the geographic area where they breed, with broad intergrade zones I believe, so there is everything from clean white primaries to black primaries and everything in between. Overall this bird looks paler than I’m used to with second winter Thayer’s, but not drastically so. I don’t know enough to say for sure whether it’s Thayer’s or Kumlien’s (or intermediate), so that’s why I’m suggesting Thayer’s/Kumlien’s. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Leukering 2,327 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 First off, it is important to note that this is a second-cycle bird, which makes assessment of whether it's referable to kumleini or thayeri much more problematic. As AH noted, even kumleini is quite variable in overall darkness and combining that with the bird's age make assessing which form to which to assign any single individual solely by plumage something of a Sisphyean task. The bird's strongly angled forehead and large size (relative to the Herrings around it) suggest that it's a Thayer's Gull, as that form is, on average, larger and has a more-angled head than kumleini Unfortunately, head shape is also a feature that differs between the sexes of both forms. However, the bird's whiteness on the wings might suggest kumleini. Thus, I agree with AH's suggestion of not assigning the bird to a particular subspecies. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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