April 2023 Monthly Notables

Sightings:

• Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cycle). Calgary County, Alberta. 01 April 2023.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (3rd cycle). Bruce County, Ontario. 01 April 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Baltimore County, Maryland. 03 April 2023.
• California Gull (adult). Talbot County, Maryland. 05 April 2023.
• Western Gull (adult). Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). King County, Washington. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Norfolk County, Ontario. 07 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). New Castle County, Delaware. 07 April 2023.
• Black-headed Gull (adult). Chautauqua County, New York. 08 April 2023.
• Sabine's Gull (adult). Graham County, Arizona. 08 April 2023.
• Glaucous Gull (adult type). Galveston County, Texas. 09 April 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. 09 April 2023.
• California Gull (2nd cycle). Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. 18 April 2023.
• Glaucous-winged Gull (3rd cycle). Fort McMurray, Alberta. 20 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Bristol County, Massachusetts. 22 April 2023.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Lake County, Illinois. 22 April 2023.
• Franklin's Gull (adult). Worcester County, Massachusetts. 23 April 2023.
• Great Black-backed Gull (2nd cycle). Cameron Parish, Louisiana. 24 April 2023.
• Short-billed Gull (1st cycle). Tarrant County, Texas. 25 April 2023.
• California Gull (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 26 April 2023.
• Slaty-backed Gull (adult). Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 26 April 2023.
• Black-legged Kittiwake (1st cycle). Cook County, Illinois. 26 April 2023.
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd cycle). Mendocino County, California. 27 April 2023.
• Heermann's Gull (2nd cycle). Lorain County, Ohio. 29 April 2023.
• 2nd State Record. Possibly the 2nd cycle individual from Baltimore County, Maryland.

April 2023 Quiz

 

September. Michigan.

Age: Pointed primary tips, barred upper tail coverts and an overall uniform dark brownish-black plumage points to a 1st cycle large gull.

Identification: There are several important features to hone in on when looking at an open wing of a 1st cycle large gull: The inner primary pattern, the tail pattern and the greater coverts. Here we see dark inner primaries with very little contrast (as found in California Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull). The dark tail is found in a number of species, but note the uppertail coverts have a noticeable white base color (not brownish). The outer greater coverts are largely dark, and the upperparts have prominent pale edging. All of these features, when combined, are consistent with the aforementioned, juvenile California and Lesser Black-backed Gull, and this image alone would likely yield and inconclusive identification without more context. Here is the perched bird next to 1st cycle American Herring Gull. 

Given the location, plain and dark tertials with prominent pale edging, and all black bill, it is quite evident this is a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull.