Gull help

[Melierax]

Southern Idaho. Franklin's are just starting to come in. I missed this gull while searching through a big raft. I think it's an overexposed FRGU but not sure.

 

[Sean C]

Bonaparte's Gull?

[Tony Leukering]

I suppose that it would be kind of important to put IDs on the other gulls here in order to determine how big the apparently smaller gull is. However, we can start with the premise that there is not FRGU here. Any Frankie now with adult wings would would have a black head.

The larger gull behind the smaller gull seems to have a darker gray mantle and it definitely has wide and distinct scapular and tertial crescents. That combo should enable an ID of Cal Gull. The overexposed larger gull in front of the Cal has a noticeably wide and very distinct tertial crescent and it's roughly the same size as the Cal, so I'd call that another Cal. The back bird is problematic, but it doesn't look of significantly different size than the Cals, so I'm pretty happy with it as a third Cal.

That leaves what I presume is the bird in question.

If the Cal right behind is a male, then, given the pitfalls of size illusion in telephoto photography, the front bird might be large enough to be a Ringer. However, it, too, seems to have distinct scapular and tertial crescents, which rules out Ring-billed Gull. Since the white tips to the primaries rule out Bonaparte's, there's really only one reasonable option in ID in April: Mew.

As I assume that Mew its at least "interesting"  there, I'd be leery of actually identifying it as such without a better photo.

[AlexHenry]

I agree with California Gulls for the 3 other gulls, the one in question I am not sure but Tony's suggestion of Mew seems reasonable given head and bill shape and what appears to be pretty long wings.

[Melierax]

So I'm thinking Ring-billed Gull... here's the entire photo. There seems to be a couple other birds here that look similar to the bird in question: 

 

 

I considered Mew as well, but the proportions didn't seem quite right. I have seen Mew multiple times in Idaho, but I certainly wouldn't expect it.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Melierax

[Nivalis]

I am thinking ring on this one as well but @Tony Leukering does have a good point that the front bird does seem to have distinct scapular and tertial crescents witch would then rule out the ring billed.  I am wondering if the lighting is just so that the scapular and tertial crescents might be illuminated and therefor more distinct and pronounced.

[Tony Leukering]

As I wrote, I wouldn't want to claim this thing on the strength of the single photo. It's probably a Ringer, but....

[Nivalis]

1 minute ago, Tony Leukering said:

As I wrote, I wouldn't want to claim this thing on the strength of the single photo. It's probably a Ringer, but....

Thats fair, always good to be absolutely sure before IDing a bird