ML621709566
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
- Tags
- Aberrant individual
Media notes
Melanistic
Observation details
Changed from PAJA to FRGU with melanism based on discussion with several other birders. Bird was not associating with other gulls. It was near the CAGU colony, but flew in as a solitary bird and was not truly associating with the other nearby birds. A little strange for a FRGU to be hanging out alone, but the shape does fit. Overall this bird is probably the most challenging bird I have ever encountered in my years of birding. There was 5 FRGU originally listed separate from this one bird - they were fly-over later in the count. If anyone has a better idea of what this is, I am open to hearing suggestions. About FRGU sized, uniform chocolate brown plumage, white wingtips, touch of white on the chin. Saw it fly in and the dark plumage and white wingtips was striking. Landed near the island of CAGUs. Was able to get a bunch of pictures as it swam around. Bill doesn't look right for Jaeger (meets very even in a point, no hook), and there was too much white in the wings, but cannot think of another option. Seemed too small for a Heermann's gull (saw swimming alongside several other birds to get idea of size) which is the only other uniformly dark gull, bill is also longer and thinner. Perhaps a jaeger hybrid?
Technical information
- Model
- ILCA-77M2
- ISO
- 100
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- Dimensions
- 1472 pixels x 982 pixels
- Original file size
- 110.15 KB