Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2013-12
| Common name: |
Western Gull |
| Scientific name: | Larus occidentalis |
| Date: | 01-14-2013 |
| Time: | 12:30pm |
| Length of time observed: | 20 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | 3rd cycle immature |
| Sex: | unknown |
| Location: | Lake Park in West Valley |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | 4250 |
| Distance to bird: | 50 yards |
| Optical equipment: | 10X50 Bushnell binoculars, Cannon SX20 Digital Camera, 20-60X Alpen spotting scope |
| Weather: | Sunny.clear but very cold |
| Light Conditions: | excellent |
| Description: Size of bird: | large gull |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | gull like |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | very dark charcoal gray back,pale head and white breast |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | long, gull like |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
First noticed the dark gray back,then the pink feet and massive bill. Large
bird,slight larger than the Herring Gulls nearby,and much larger than the
California and Ring-billed Gulls. Massive spade shaped bill very prominent. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none heard |
| Behavior: | Most of the time it was preening on the snow bank, a couple time the flock spooked and they all took off,but it would land back in the same spot. |
| 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 backed to be anything but a dark mantled gull, too large to be a Lesser Black-backed and it had pink feet which LBBG should not. Yellow-footed Gulls also have yellow legs, not pink like this birds. Great Black-backed Gull should have duller pink legs and a more massive bill, also there are no accepted records of GBBG in Utah |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Yes.Saw 2 last winter at Farmington Bay,saw one in Feb.2011 at Farmington Bay,and saw one in Feb.2009 at Farmington Bay. |
| References consulted: | Sibley Guide to birds, D.A. Sibley 2000 |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 688 East 700 South #105,SLC,UT 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Matthew Pendleton,and other present on the Great Salt Lake Audubon field trip I was leading |
| Date prepared: | 01-14-2013 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: | Will send photos to the webmaster. Also Matthew has photos that I will request he sends in too |