fneil 10/02/2009 22:02
Possible Glaucous Gull
Photograph today at NSW. Is it a Glaucous?
Neil
Nam Sang Wai,
Hong Kong,
China.
09/01/09
Nikon D3 plus Nikon 500/4 VR lens and Nikon 1.4x tele
HFCheung 10/02/2009 23:03
No, I don't think so. Glaucous Gull has a sharp two-tone bill, and a more uniformly white body.
HF Cheung
lpaul 11/02/2009 10:03
1st winter Slaty-backed Gull. Nice pic.
John Holmes 12/02/2009 12:14
Slaty-backed Gull 1st winter
2009-02-10 Nam Sang Wai (The same individual posted here by Neil, I think, and ID'd by Paul)
ID MKIIN + 800mm
[IMG]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/jwjgh/hkwildlife/bird/090210_SBGull-a-01.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/jwjgh/hkwildlife/bird/090210_SBGull-b-01.jpg[/IMG]
ajohn 12/02/2009 13:03
I'm still very bad at gulls - especially first year birds.
What features make this Slaty-backed rather than Heuglin's?
Beetle 12/02/2009 23:32
i also become mad identifying gulls, but i learnt following from ar tung some time before:
1st-winter Slaty-backed Gulls have very obvious dark patch around the eyes (which is very easy to see at a distance), and a very dark bill.
I couldn't see these from the above photos.
cgeoff 13/02/2009 14:54
The following features identify this bird: largely dark tail, lack of pale inner primary window, brownish belly contrasting with rather pale head (valid late in winter), relatively short, rather liver-pink coloured legs and rather compact structure.
It's a rather small, lightly-built individual, so I would guess it's a female.
Geoff
lpaul 13/02/2009 18:00
I also find the very dark underwing coverts contrasting with rather pale and uniform undersaide to the primaries and secondaries another good SBGull feature. The bill is usually all dark or predominantly dark in SBGull.