Pacific Shorebirds along California

[Jefferson Shank]

Here are some Pacific shorebirds along California. The pictures were taken in October. Thanks!

1. Black Oystercatcher?

2. Which gull is this? And is it possible to ID the small bird in bottom right corner?

3. Which gull is this? 

4. Which gull is this? 

5. Which gull is this? 

[Tony Leukering]

The gulls are all either Western or Western x Glaucous-winged. The lighting makes definitive ID very difficult, particularly if these are all single pix of different individual birds.

[Jefferson Shank]

 

The gulls are all either Western or Western x Glaucous-winged. The lighting makes definitive ID very difficult, particularly if these are all single pix of different individual birds.

The last 3 are of a single bird if that helps you at all.

[Jefferson Shank]

 

The gulls are all either Western or Western x Glaucous-winged. 

Why not just plain Glaucous-winged Gull?

[Phalarope713]

I think all of these have at least some Glaucous-winged in them. A Western would show a considerably darker mantle. What suggests a hybrid rather than a pure Glaucous-winged are the dark gray/blackish wingtips, although I could be wrong. 

[Jefferson Shank]

Isn't #3 a pure Glaucous-winged Gull. It looks like the one HERE.

[AlexHenry]

1 is indeed Black Oystercatcher

The rest are all Glaucous-winged or Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls. Can’t really tell especially with the angle of the sun, for example photo 5 looks like pure Glaucous-winged but photo 3 looks like Glaucous-winged x Western, and those photos are of the same bird so idk

[Jefferson Shank]

I think they are the same bird. But it was 2+ years ago since I took the pictures.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Jefferson Shank

[Jefferson Shank]

I don't know how 3 can be the same bird as 4 and 5 because 3 has a blackish tail and 4 and 5 don't. 

[birdbrain22]

I'd say 3-5 are the same bird on the same rock. The lighting is playing tricks on you.

I am think they are Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls but the lighting is tough.

 

[Jefferson Shank]

I'll just call them Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls.

[Charlie Spencer]

13 hours ago, Jefferson Shank said:

I don't know how 3 can be the same bird as 4 and 5 because 3 has a blackish tail and 4 and 5 don't. 

Maybe check the properties / metadata of these three shots.  If the times show they were taken pretty close together, odds are it's the same bird on the same rock.  I'm with @birdbrain22 on the lighting.

Either way, it isn't the tail that's dark on #3, it's the wingtips.  

Edited March 1, 2020 by Charlie Spencer

[Jefferson Shank]

 

Maybe check the properties / metadata of these three shots.  If the times show they were taken pretty close together, odds are it's the same bird on the same rock.  I'm with @birdbrain22 on the lighting.

Either way, it isn't the tail that's dark on #3, it's the wingtips.  

I'll check when I get a chance.

And yes... I meant wingtips instead of tail.

[Charlie Spencer]

6 minutes ago, Jefferson Shank said:

I'll check when I get a chance.

And yes... I meant wingtips instead of tail.

"S okay, I frequently say 'Ruby-crowned Kinglet' when I really mean 'White-eyed Vireo'.  Sometimes I even say it when I really mean 'Eastern Wood-Pewee'.  Yeah, that's what I really meant to say.   

Edited March 1, 2020 by Charlie Spencer

[Kevin]

I make the mistake of saying Ring-billed Duck.

[Charlie Spencer]

1 minute ago, Kevin said:

I make the mistake of saying Ring-billed Duck.

At least when I make that particular mistake, I actually have the ID correct.  If I could rename just one bird, changing 'Ring-necked' to 'Ring-billed' would be my choice.

[Jefferson Shank]

 

Maybe check the properties / metadata of these three shots.  If the times show they were taken pretty close together, odds are it's the same bird on the same rock. 

Times for the last 3 pictures... Seven minutes between 3 & 4 and Four minutes between 4 & 5.

[Tony Leukering]

The bird in picture #5 has very worn outer primaries on the left wing, but has grown a new middle primary, and it is extensively dark, thus ruling out pure GWGU. Interestingly, the bird in picture #3 has a right wing with very worn outer primaries and brand-spanking new middle primaries. Given the time of year -- when no adult four-year gulls in the northern hemisphere should be growing primaries, I'd say that the bird in pix 3-5 is the same bird. Additionally, the bird in picture #2, though the wing tips are not in focus, the looks worn and pointed, so, perhaps, all pix are of the same individual.

[Tony Leukering]

One bit of lexicological warning. In birding, the term "shorebird" has a specific meaning in a taxonomic sense. "Shorebirds" are those species found in various suborders of the order Charadriiformes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wader [Note that this Wikipedia account uses the British term "wader," despite that Brits consider shorebirds to be "short-legged waders" as opposed to the "long-legged waders" that are herons and related groups.]

The point is that the birding term "shorebird" does not encompass the Laridae, the family of gulls, terns, and skimmers. The jaegers and skuas were formerly included in the Laridae, but have recently been split into their own family (Stercorariidae). This is critical if one uses eBird.

[Jefferson Shank]

 

The bird in picture #5 has very worn outer primaries on the left wing, but has grown a new middle primary, and it is extensively dark, thus ruling out pure GWGU. Interestingly, the bird in picture #3 has a right wing with very worn outer primaries and brand-spanking new middle primaries. Given the time of year -- when no adult four-year gulls in the northern hemisphere should be growing primaries, I'd say that the bird in pix 3-5 is the same bird. Additionally, the bird in picture #2, though the wing tips are not in focus, the looks worn and pointed, so, perhaps, all pix are of the same individual.

Then I'll mark it down as Western x Glaucous-winged Gull.

Thanks everyone for all your input!