Since mid-January 2001, a Glaucous Gull had been reported several times from the north end of Tybee I., GA.  On Wednesday, 24 January, Marion Dobbs raised some initial concerns about the identification of the gull after observing it, and on Friday reached a consensus that the bird being observed on Tybee I. was probably not a Glaucous Gull, with Walt Chambers, Karen Theodorou and Deb Barriero after they had also studied this gull.  Several features of the bird, including size, did not seem to point to a species in any frequently documented plumage.  I didn't have the chance to observe this bird in person until Sunday, 28 January, but Deb Barreiro was kind enough to forward scans of this gull in the presence of Herring Gulls (an important frame of reference) to me. My true feelings are that gulls can be a pain in the neck to identify, but sometimes that's part of the fun and occasionally a welcomed challenge. Prior to actually seeing the bird in person on Sunday (which is important since photos can be misleading), I noted the following characteristics from the scans:

• As large as or slightly smaller than the Herring Gulls that accompanied the mystery gull.

A Glaucous Gull would appear noticeably larger than a Herring Gull, although Grant states in "Gulls, A Guide to Identification" that the largest Herring Gull and the smallest Glaucous Gull may appear to be the same size. The odds of this size combination happening in Georgia must be minuscule, but I personally have never observed a Glaucous Gull that wasn't obviously larger than any Herring Gull. The bulk of a Glaucous Gull enhances this larger appearance. Size comparison between Iceland and Herring Gull is a little trickier, but Iceland Gulls are usually noticeably smaller when they are with Herring Gulls. They also appear daintier, or slighter overall. (Size of this bird favors Herring Gull.)

• Primaries projected well beyond the tail.

The wingtips of a Glaucous Gull meet or slightly exceed the tail when the bird is at rest. The wingtips of Herring and Iceland Gull are noticeably longer than the tail when they are at rest. (Wingtip
projection on this bird favors both Herring and Iceland.)

• Bill appeared to be longish, but not particularly heavy and did not have a sharp demarcation between the black tip and pink base; except for coloration, the bill wasn't shaped any differently than the Herring Gulls it accompanied.

Glaucous Gulls have big heavy bills, and Iceland Gulls have bills that are shorter and thinner than Herring Gulls. (Bill of this bird favors Herring.)

• Head shape and "expression" appeared to be about the same as the other Herring Gulls.

This is probably as esoteric of a field marks as any because it relies on how the individual bird is holding the feathers on the head at any given moment. However, Iceland Gulls have very rounded heads, and have an innocent look about them, like they're not looking for trouble. Most of the other big gulls, including Glaucous and Herring, have gradually sloping foreheads, and most of the large gulls have a look that most books describe as "fierce"; they appear to always be mad.  Iceland Gulls (and Thayer's) do not show this expression. The bird in question appeared as mad as the rest of the Herring Gulls. (Head shape and "expression" of this bird favors Herring.)

For comparative scans of Glaucous Gulls recorded in Georgia, please see the following links.  Clicking on these links should open the species account in a new browser window:

• http://www.gos.org/sightings/glgu2.html

• http://www.gos.org/sightings/glgu.html

Giff Beaton, Lex Glover, Tom Egan, Jerry and Marie Amerson and myself went to scrutinize the gull on Sunday with Deb  Barreiro, and based upon what I and others observed after studying the bird, concluded that this was an aberrant Herring Gull. I can't speak to the biological terminology of whether it was albinistic or leucistic, but I am under the assumption that a true albinistic bird would be pure white (this bird had some shadows of a tail pattern and a few scattered feathers, best described by Marion as 'cafe au lait' in color) and pink soft parts (bill, eyes and legs). This gull had a definite dark tip to the end of the bill.  My guess, therefore, is that the gull is leucistic, but there may be another name for this condition that I am not aware of.

Winter is also the season when feather wear really starts to change the appearance of Herring Gulls. They are normally a rather mottled dark brown in fresh juvenile plumage, but as the winter rolls on, the sun, salt and wind really start to bleach and fray their plumage. The result is a few young Herring Gulls appearing somewhat white (but mostly tan), and with little more than just the quills left on many of the wing and tail feathers. I don't think that this is the case with the Tybee I. bird since it is almost immaculately white, but I could be wrong. Its plumage was worn, but not to the point that would make a normal Herring Gull appear so white.

Return to Species Account Menu