Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2013-07
| Common name: |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| Scientific name: | Larus fuscus |
| Date: | 1-7-13 |
| Time: | 1:00 pm |
| Length of time observed: | 20 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | unknown |
| Location: | Lake Park,West Valley City |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | 4,250ft |
| Distance to bird: | 50 yards |
| Optical equipment: | 10X50 Bushnell binoculars, Cannon SX20 Digital Camera |
| Weather: | sunny, clear but cold |
| Light Conditions: | excellent |
| Description: Size of bird: | medium sized gull, similar in size to the California Gulls nearby |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Gull like |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | very dark charcoal gray back, pale head and white breast |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Long, yellow with a red spot |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
This gull stood out dramatically from the California, Ring-billed and Herring
gulls nearby, with its much darker back. Also had a yellow eye, and a yellow
bill with a red spot. Some smudgy markings on the crown. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none heard |
| Behavior: | swimming and preening in a large pond |
| Habitat: | On a large unfrozen pond on the side of the road in a golf course-business complex area. They must circulate the water to keep it from freezing over at night, and thousands of gulls were there apparently preening and feeding in the water. This pond is only a few miles from a large landfill and the south shore of the great salt lake, where the gulls feed and roost at night. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
To dark to be anything except a Dark-mantled Gull, to small to be a Western, Yellow-footed or Great Black-backed Gull. Also the pale eye is best for a Lesser Black-backed, which are the most common and likely dark-mantled gull to be seen in Utah in winter anyway, becoming more and more common every year it seems |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
I have seen this species many times now, every winter/early spring the past 3 years, and my first in February 2009 |
| References consulted: | Sibley Guide to birds, D.A. Sibley 2000 |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 2688 East 700 South #105,SLC,UT 8410 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | none that I am aware of |
| Date prepared: | 01-11-2013 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: | Will send photos to the webmaster |