Herring Gull "Tail-bands" in North America (Ontario, Canada)

[Brandon Holden]

I've spent a few years now trying to document these unusual "Euro-vega like" Herring Gulls in North America, which are often explained as variations in Smith HEGU's. The frequency in which I'm seeing them is somewhat alarming, and almost makes me wonder if they are born somewhere around the Great Lakes. Just wanted to share a very striking individual photographed on Sept 25, 2011:

http://www.blog.peregrineprints.com/201 ... ny_01.html


I don't really want to claim them as anything anymore, and just try to document them. Unfortunately I haven't got around to labeling all my photos recently, but some of the other "oddballs" are lumped into this gallery here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1173295782 ... romOntario


Happy Gull-ing

Brandon

________
Brandon Holden
Guelph, Ontario
http://www.PeregrinePrints.com

[marsmuusse]

Hi Brandon,
These birds may go unnoticed in groups of Herrings in Holland I'm afraid. Not much that would direct me towards smithso-ever.

Mars

[JanJ]

Hi Brandon.

As Mars sy´s - these would go pretty undetected on my home (argentatus) patch in sout-east Sweden as well.
However, it seems that smithsonianus tend to shows a more restricted inner pale primary patch, with less pale inner webs on the outer prinaries compared to 'european'. The mentioned feature in Gulls of the Americas that smithsonianys shows more obvious dark spot on the inner web of the innner 3-4 primaries - usually lacking in 'european' can actually be seen in many images. However, I would not put it down as a reliable feature of it´s own - since it is also shown by many 'european' Extremely variable species Herring!

argentatus from Sweden:

http://www.pbase.com/slisch/image/126796746

http://www.pbase.com/slisch/image/126707968

http://www.pbase.com/slisch/image/126796509

http://tinyurl.com/5wxlezt

http://tinyurl.com/6joybga

Very good images on your sites Brandon - as usual!

Cheers

JanJ

[lou bertalan]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Rtfsyd8tugY/S ... flyg10.jpg white an odd bird if really an argie, jan. where did you dig that out?

[JanJ]

Hi Lou.

Should have mentioned that of course!
Taken at Simrishamn Sweden on 9.12.2009 by Hans Larsson. Dark argentatus.

JanJ

[lou bertalan]

Mer distinkt avsatt stjärtband hos denna och även ett snäpp mörkare ton överlag. Grundteckningen på vingen är dock som vanligt, dvs enbart mörka toppar på inre handpennorna...

that's what hans said about it. strange, i would have expected more words about its unusual darkness, esp. outer webs to inner primes. but sorry, this is hijacking brandon's thread.