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by Dennis Shirley
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General Information |
Gull Identification |
Immature Gulls |
Key to Adult Gulls |
Species List | |
Black-legged Kittiwake (similar
species)
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Non-breeding Adult - gray suffusion across the back of the
head and nape,
head and neck are white in breeding plumage, almost no white
spots in wing tips (in any plumage)
Paul Higgins
©Paul Higgins
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Non-breeding Adult - has an indistinct, lighter gray upperwing area
immediately inside the black wing tip, white tips on the secondaries,
tail is white, squared or slightly notched
by Steve Summers
©Steve Summers
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Non-breeding Adult - white underwing with black tips cut straight
across wing
by Steve Summers
©Steve Summers
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2nd Year Black-legged Kittiwake -
loses
the distinct black "M"
pattern
on the front upperwing,
and the white triangular area on the
trailing edge found in the 1st year bird.
Photo
by
Paul Higgins
©Paul Higgins
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Black-legged
Kittiwake
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Similar Species
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Adult Mew Gull
- Adult Mew Gull similar in size and mantle shade, but black
on wing tip more extensive, irregularly shaped and with
white spots; summer kittiwakes with unmarked head may appear
similar to Mew Gulls when on the water. |
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Immature Sabine's Gull
- is more cleanly marked and has a lot of brown color
on the back and upperwing coverts. |
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Red-legged Kittiwake
(not found in Utah) - is smaller, more compact, with tounder
head, shorter bill, darker mantle; lack on wing tips more
extensive and less sharply defined; dark wing liniings have
window; feet and legs gright vermilion. |
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Bonaparte's Gull
- is much smaller and petit with a proportionally smaller
head and bill; bill is black or almost black. |
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Adult Mew Gull - black on wing tips is more
extensive,
irregularly shaped, and has white spots
Photo by Jack Binch
©Jack Binch
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Juvenile Sabine's
- has brown mantle, back of head and sides of neck,
although the black in the primaries is similar to the Kittiwake
it stops at the secondary coverts which are brown in the Sabine's.
by Paul Higgins
©Paul Higgins
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Black-legged Kittiwake (center)
- is much larger then Bonaparte's with a proportionally
larger head and bill; bill is distinctly curved at the end and is yellow
after the first year.
by Jack Binch
©Jack Binch
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