ML145592831
Herring x Glaucous Gull (hybrid) Larus argentatus x hyperboreus
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Second cycle (no sign of the adult today). Identified in the field as this hybrid, then had second thoughts after distant and poor digiscope photos made it look too dark. On further study I'm confident that it was a hybrid. It's clear the camera boosted the contrast too much (it also made the Herring Gulls much too dark). Two photos attached are adjusted for levels but still seem too contrasting and don't represent the overall paleness of the bird. In the field it looked very Glaucous-like except for dark wingtips. The primaries were not quite black and had broad pale fringes; overall pale buff-gray body and coverts, pale brown tertials, long pink bill with clean-cut black tip, large flat head like Glaucous. In flight the dark wingtips were a narrow wedge limited to the outer three or so primaries, and the darkest markings in the rest of the wings and tail were medium gray-brown.
Technical information
- Original file size
- 66.37 KB