ID tips | RadleyIce

Oct 062009

Breeding Gull Identification Key

As fall (or is it winter with 3 inches of snow on the ground) comes Montana, we are starting to see rare gulls with a Lesser Black-backed and Mew Gulls observed already. So, I went on a search for gull identification tools, and found a great key by Dennis Paulson from Puget Sound University. You can find the original with links to gull images at http://www.pugetsound.edu/x6183.xml.

Breeding Adult Identification Chart

Identification Chart for Pacific Northwest Gulls (Breeding Adults)

White Head, White Tail

Species	Mantle	Bill	Legs	Iris	Eyering
Ivory	white	yellowish with greenish base and orange tip	black	brown	red
Glaucous	very pale gray	yellow with red spot	pink	pale yellow	yellow to yellow-orange
Iceland	very pale gray	yellow with red spot	pink	pale yellow	red
Herring	pale gray	yellow with red spot	pink	pale yellow	yellow-orange
Thayer’s	pale gray	yellow with red spot	pink	brown to dull yellow	reddish-purple
Ring-billed	pale gray	yellow with black ring	yellow	pale yellow	orange-red
Ross’s	pale gray	blackish	red	brown	red
Glaucous-winged	neutral gray	yellow with red spot	pink	brown to pale brown	pink to purple
California	neutral gray	yellow with red and black spots	green to gray	brown	red
Mew	neutral gray	dull yellow	dull yellow	brown	red
Black-legged Kittiwake	neutral gray	yellow	black	brown	red
Western	dark gray	yellow with red spot	pink	yellow to pale brown	yellow-orange
Red-legged Kittiwake	dark gray	yellow	red	brown	red
Great Black-backed	very dark gray	yellow with red spot	pink	pale yellow	red
Slaty-backed	very dark gray	yellow with red spot	pink	pale yellow	reddish
Lesser Black-backed	very dark gray	yellow with red spot	yellow	pale yellow	red

White Head, Dark Tail

Species	Mantle	Bill	Legs	Iris	Eyering
Heermann’s	dark brownish-gray	red with black tip	black	brown	red

Dark (Black, Dark Brown, Gray) Head, White Tail

Species	Mantle	Bill	Legs	Iris	Eyering
Black-headed	very pale gray	dark red	dark red	brown	maroon-red
Bonaparte’s	pale gray	black	orange-red	brown	black
Little	pale gray	blackish	reddish	brown	brown
Sabine’s	neutral gray	black with yellow tip	black	brown	red
Laughing	dark gray	dark red	dark red	brown	red
Franklin’s	dark gray	red	red	brown	red