Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2003-35
| Common name: |
Heermann's Gull |
| Scientific name: | Larus heermanni |
| Date: | 2 Oct 2003 |
| Time: | 1:00, 2:00, 3:30 |
| Length of time observed: | total about 40 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | 2nd (fall) |
| Sex: | ? |
| Location: | Southgate Golf Course pond |
| County: | Washinton |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | |
| Optical equipment: | Pentax 10X42 DCF WP |
| Weather: | Mostly Clear, warm |
| Light Conditions: | Good |
| Detailed description of bird: | Large-looking chunky gull. Mostly uniform sooty gray/brown, with black feet. Bill orange at base then red toward tip, which was black. Slight crescents above and below eye. White on secondaries, and Dark primaries. Lighter (but not white) rump band. Looked much like the 2nd Winter illustration in the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | |
| Behavior: | Mostly standing alert on bank, flew a couple times around the pond, dipped a couple times to feed, and bathed once. |
| Habitat: |
Golf Course pond with open water |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Other gulls are not so dark. Jaegers have stubbier bills and different tails. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Have seen Heerman's Gulls in California and Baja California (in large numbers) |
| References consulted: | National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America The Sibley Field Guide to teh Birds of Western North America |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Observer: Marilyn Davis, Matthew Curtis, Kevin Wheeler |
| Observer's address: | (Kevin) 455 S. 1100 E. St. George, UT 84790 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | turtleherder@hotmail.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Observers: Rick Fridell |
| Date prepared: | 2 Oct 2003 (General Public) |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional comments: |