Mew Gull - Brace's Cove, Gloucester, MA

Found and photographed by Rick Heil on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2009, at a great distance in
Gloucester Harbor this wayward gull was much more cooperative today as it spent
time preening at the waters edge with several Ring-billed Gulls and then
feeding along the wrack line in Brace's Cove. Photographed between
11:30 and noon on an incoming tide, 3 hours prior to high.

Same gull? This is a composite of the Lynn & Gloucester gull with Margo Goetschkes photo from 12-8 and mine from 12-7
More of Margo's photos of the gull from 12-8 can be seen on her Flicker Account

Rick Heil feels this may be a Kamchatka Gull or to be more precise, possibly the same bird
that was here in 2007. His comments follow: "More Images Below"

Great photos Phil!!!!   This bird in my opinion is spot on for KAMCHATKA GULL, as I first thought when I saw it even at great distances. It looks larger and bulkier than the Ringers!!! Was this your impression in the field Phil?   It has a large (relative to other canus taxa) mostly unmarked bill (with, in this case, just a suggestion of a ring), and is very dark mantled; P8 is extensively black; shows conspicuous white tongues P5-7; has a very heavily marked head and neck and upper breast imparting a characteristic collared look, and especially broadly and densely marked hind neck (unlike other canus taxa), eye mid-brown; and has a narrowing pale fringe along the inner primaries. This may be the same bird returning to Gloucester from 2007, which I described below. Most of the comments I find apply to this bird as well:

Rick

Richard S. Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil@comcast.net

Kamchatka Gull: L. c. kamtschatschensis is the largest of the canus taxa. Compared to L. c. canus, Common Gull of Europe it has a longer deeper bill, broader wings, and a slightly darker mantle. It has a more sloping forehead, flatter crown, and deeper breast. The winter head is more densely marked, many showing a distinct dark necklace. Any dark bill markings (ring) in winter are weaker, and more frequently absent. The wingtip pattern is similar to nominate canus, with extensive black in the primaries, and notably with extensive black on P8. The inner primaries show a markedly narrower white trailing edge than the secondaries (all from Olsen, 2003).

The Gloucester gull presented all of the features consistent with an adult winter Kamchatka Gull, and many features that reasonably exclude other canus taxa:
·         Large overall size, larger than canus or brachyrhynchus, equal to or exceeding that of several adjacent Ring-billed Gulls! See first photo at: http://www.freewebs.com/michiganbirds/othertripsandquickpics.htm
·         Broad winged, equal or greater even than adjacent Ring-billed Gull.
·         Bill long and relatively thick (compared to other canus taxa), and unmarked yellow, completely lacking any suggestion of a ring.
·         In flight, tarsi appeared thicker and feet appeared bigger than adjacent Ring-billed Gulls.
·         The eye was not solidly dark, but slightly paler and two-toned.
·         Extensive black in primaries, reaching primary coverts in P8-10 (appears to be a few black spots on coverts themselves); P8 extensively black with essentially no apparent white tongue at the end of the gray intrusion; P7 with only a narrow white tongue.
·         Narrow white edge (tips) to inner primaries, much reduced in comparison to broad white trailing edge to secondaries.
·         Winter head densely marked, distinctive dark markings forming an obvious, broad dark necklace right across the chest. See http://www.pavlikphotography.com/mew_gull.htm
·         Dark mantle, markedly darker than adjacent Ring-billed Gulls.
·         Long sloping forehead and flat crown, less rounded head shape than other canus taxa. See 7^th photo of sitting bird at: http://www.pavlikphotography.com/mew_gull.htm

Why the Gloucester gull is not a Mew Gull, L. c. brachyrhynchus:

L. c. brachyrhynchus or Mew Gull of western U.S. I believe can easily be eliminated by the overwhelmingly larger proportions in all aspects of the Gloucester gull. Brachyrhynchus is the smallest canus taxon, with a rounded head, and a short, weak bill, while kamtschatschensis is the largest, with a more sloping forehead and a long, relatively heavy bill.   Mew Gull can also be eliminated by the extensive black in the wingtip of the Gloucester gull, especially by the extensively black P8. On the Gloucester gull, as in Kamchatka Gull, the white tips, or trailing edge, to the inner primaries, is much narrower than the broad white trailing edge to the secondaries. In Mew Gull the white trailing edge to the secondaries and inner primaries is more evenly broad throughout.   The head markings in Mew Gull tend to be softer and more diluted, and less extensive than the sharper, darker head markings and distinctive dark collar of the Gloucester gull.

Why the Gloucester gull is not a Common Gull, L. c. canus:

L. c. canus of Northern Europe and Asia can also reasonably be eliminated by the larger proportions of the Gloucester gull. It was equal to or larger than even adjacent Ring-billed Gulls. The birds’ bill length and thickness, tarsus thickness, wing length and width, and overall body size were considerably larger than expected for a Common Gull, even a male. The bill, typical of winter Kamchatka Gull, but atypical for Common Gull, lacked any suggestion of a ring or any mark whatsoever, and was a deep yellow color. According to Olsen >90% of winter L. c. canus possess a ring on the bill.   The head markings were more extensive and coarser than usual for Common Gull, on the rear crown, nape, and neck, continuing down to form a broad, dark collar right across the chest. This pattern is distinctive of Kamchatka Gull (see photos in Howell, 22c.7 and 22c.8 on P.137), and very unusual or unknown for adult Common Gull, which typically has finer, much more restricted streaking. The mantle was dark gray, noticeably darker than adjacent Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. Although obviously no Common Gulls were present for comparison, it seemed slightly darker to me than adult L. c. canus I’ve seen in Massachusetts.   Another taxon that should be mentioned, L. c. henei of north-central Russia, is geographically probably the least likely form to occur in Massachusetts.   It is generally very similar to canus although averaging slightly larger. The bill of henei is reported to be often with a more complete subterminal band than canus, even in summer (Olsen)!