Large Gulls ID Practice Flashcards
Similar to the previous deck, we're going to practice identifying photographs of Western Canada's large gull species in their various plumages, from first, second, and third-year juveniles to adults. For every photo, the key diagnostic features are highlighted in the footnotes, while other cards put your powers of recall more directly to the test with questions that compel you to list those features without a photograph to prompt you.
What two species of gull are shown?
California & Heerman’s Gull
Only one Heerman’s Gull (top right)
The Heerman’s Gull is diagnostic with its sooty brown-grey plumage and bright red bill. California Gulls, on the other hand, are often confused with many of BC’s other large white gull species.
A key clue to look for is the combination of yellow legs, dark eye, and bill that has both a black ring and red spot. This sets it apart from similar-looking Ring-billed Gull—yellow legs, pale eyes, no red spot— and Herring Gull—pink legs, pale eyes, no ring on bill.
What bird is this?
Glaucous-winged Gull
The most abundant gull on the BC coast, often seen hanging out in urban areas, shorelines, marine environments, fields, and even garbage-dumps. In fact, about 75% of the gulls in BC are Glaucous-winged: a very large, pale gull with dark eye and pink legs. Importantly, note the pale gray mantle and total absence black wingtips.
Herring Gull
The black wingtips and intensely pale eye (which gives this bird quite a fierce look) immediately distinguish this gull from similar-looking Glaucous-winged Gull. Also note the lack of a black bill ring, which sets it apart from Ring-billed Gull.
What bird is this?
Western Gull
Western Gulls are most often confused with Glaucous-winged Gulls owing to their similar features: large, bulky size, pink legs, and yellow bill with orange spot. The key differentiators are their black wingtips and much darker mantle, which is a slate-gray compared with the Glaucous-winged Gull’s light gray plumage and lack of black wingtips.
Also, important to note, Glaucous-winged Gulls are much more common than Western Gulls, which can be found in scattered flocks around Vancouver Island but not often on the mainland. That said, the two species tend to interbreed and their hybrids are so common, they’ve been given a name of their own: Olympic Gull!
Herring Gull
Note pale, fierce eye, pink legs, pale gray mantle, and black wingtips. Outside of the breeding season, Herring Gull usually feature vertical streaking on hind-neck.
To tell apart from similar-looking Iceland Gull, note the pale and not dark eyes; more robust bill size; and lighter pink legs.
What bird is this?
Glaucous-winged Gull
Large, chunky gull with dark eye, pink legs, large yellow bill with orange spot, and white and light gray plumage (i.e. no black wingtips!)
What bird is this?
California Gull
Note yellow legs, dark eye, black wing tips, and bill that features both black ring and red spot. Also pay attention to the color of their medium-gray mantle, which darker than that of Ring-billed Gull and Herring Gull, while the black wing tips set it apart from Glaucous-winged Gull.
What bird is this?
California Gull
The black ring and red dot on the bill are diagnostic of this gull species but also note the medium-gray mantle, black wing tips, and dark eyes. Each of these features constitutes a puzzle piece that will deliver you to the correct gull ID!
What birds are these?
Glaucous-winged Gull
The three identifcation markers for this gull species are: (1) lack of any black plumage, (2) large, bulky size, and (3) pink legs. Add to that their dark (and not pale) eyes and hefty yellow bills with orange spots and you’ve arrived at a definitive ID!
Herring Gull
Herring Gulls aren’t all that common in the Georgia and Juan de Fuca Straits; however, there are usually a few to be found in any large concentration of gulls on the islands, Sunshine Coast, and Lower Mainland, particularly offshore.
What bird is this?
Western Gull
Close up, a key feature of this large gull species is revealed: a palish, almost green eye with a yellow eye ring. Also, note the bright yellow bill and dark-gray mantle.
What bird is this?
Western Gull
The large size, dark mantle, black wingtips, and palish eye (with yellow eyering) are key in identifying this bird as a Western Gull.
What bird is this?
Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull
Previously known as “Thayer’s Gull”, the Iceland Gull is medium-sized with deep pink legs and a dark eye. It can be confused with the similar-sized California Gull but has pink and not yellow legs. Also note light to medium-gray mantle, black wingtips, and—relative to Herring Gull—small, dainty bill.
Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull
Medium-sized gull with smaller bill and more rounded head than Herring Gull. Look for dark eye, deep pink legs, and black/dark gray wing tips.
What bird is this?
Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull
Iceland Gulls have extremely variable plumage with populations in the west having darker mantles and wings than their snow white cousins in the north. The name for this western “race” is Thayer’s Gull, which used to be considered a different species until they were lumped together in 2017.
