Unidentified Gull 2, Choshi, Japan

[Terry Townshend]

Having dealt very efficiently with my first gull from Choshi, I thought I would try my luck with this second one. I posted this on Surfbirds and it seemed to stump everyone.

I took the photo on 25 January 2011 at Choshi in Japan (and it is the only one I have of the bird). My hunch is that it *might* be a small (female?) first winter Slaty-backed as the plumage tones (in particular the base colour, tertials and primary colouration) and rather short-winged profile seem to fit. However, it does not look typical in terms of bulk for this species, and the rounded head is troubling me, so I may be off-beam.

From looking at images on the excellent Japanese Gull site, I don't think it is a Vega or Glaucous-winged but can't seem to find a good fit.

Any ideas?

Thanks again and I promise this is the last one (for a while at least!).

Terry

[Hans Larsson]

I´d also go for female SBG. As with most gulls I think it´s expected that some individuals are particularly petite as well as some can be very brute.

Hans

[JanJ]

As you say Terry you - it came out as nothing sure at all on the Surfbirds forum. A pitty you didn´t have some more pic!
Maybe after all it might be a small female Slaty-backed. I certainly can´t come up with something else, except perhaps a hybrid of some sort, which is the impossible road in this case I gather.

http://starling.dyndns.org/~birdkitahir ... l05a02.htm
http://starling.dyndns.org/~birdkitahir ... l05a01.htm

Brian came up with this link:

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/redirect.ph ... t#lastpost


JanJ

[Terry Townshend]

Thank you Hans and Jan.

Jan - I cannot access the first two links you provided ("access forbidden").

Terry

[JanJ]

Thank you Hans and Jan.

Jan - I cannot access the first two links you provided ("access forbidden").

Terry

Hi Terry.

The two links work for me Terry. Try this instead and click on 'Gulls on Hokkaido in English'

http://starling.dyndns.org/~birdkitahiro/

JanJ

[Terry Townshend]

Thanks Jan, that works. Another great resource.

Terry