Just for fun .... 6

[clydebirder]

Anobody want to have a go at this one? it was taken at Hogganfield Loch, Glasgow on 17 September 2006.



good luck!

[astafjevs]

My first thought was juvenile... but that bill is heavy... leucistic... raven? skua?! gull?

[Neil Rigby]

I'm not one for usually jumping in head first, but I'm going for juvenile Black-backed Gull.

It's the shape of the beak, particularly the lower part which gave me this conclusion.

[astafjevs]

Ok, now I'm looking at it on a proper monitor instead of my phone (and not been in the pub for several hours beforehand) I think we can discount raven.

I agree with Neil that it's a juvenile gull, but I'm fairly familiar with LBB and Herring gulls as adults and juveniles of both species are abundant in central Bristol and it doesn't look like one to me.

That leaves GBB as the obvious choice, but there is a lot of white on the bird, little pink patch on the bill makes me think it is possibly a juvenile Iceland gull.

(and yes, I've used a field guide to assist me with this one!)

[bassist]

Young gbbg or iceland gull....!

[alanjns]

It's the bugger that had me chips on Blackpool prom

Seriously though, I have to agree with the others. It's either an immature Greater or Lesser black backed gull. I also thought 1st winter Yellow legged gull maybe, but have no idea which.

[clydebirder]

Hi all

some good deduction there but the bird is actualy a leucistic 1st winter Herring Gull, the points that ID as a Herring Gull are the obvious bale base to the bill and the barring on the scapulars (back), Lesser Black-backed Gull scapulars are solidlly filled giving a scaly look. It is on the small side for Herring Gull so most likely a female. It's certainly not a typical bird, it's the only one like it I've seen for myself

cheers, John

[Neil Rigby]

Thanks John! Thought I'd nailed it there!

Can you enlighten me on the differences between Herring Gull bills and that of Great Gulls please?

Thanks in advance!

[clydebirder]

Great Black-backed Gulls have a much deeper blunter tipped bill than the Herring Gulls, it gives the impression of a short bill because of the thickness, see images below for comparison. Lesser Black-backed is similar to Herring but on average less pronounced gonydeal angle on the bill.


ABOVE: Great Black-backed Gull BELOW: Herring Gull


cheers, John

[astafjevs]

I'm a bit disappointed that I was closer with my initial post (if you discount the bit about raven and skua!) than I was with my more considered one!!