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adult winter Mew Gull All photos by Don DesJardin, copyright 1998. |
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Figures 1 and 2) In Fig 1, and in Fig 3, note the well-defined tertial and scapular crescents, highlighted by the medium shade of gray. This is a useful mark for picking out a Mew Gull from Ring-billed Gull at a long distance. Also, no Ring-billed Gull would have head smudging this thick. In Fig 2, note the classic Mew Gull primary pattern. Much like Slaty-backed, there is a row of white tongue tips separating the black from the gray all the way out to P8. Common Gull has this only to P7, with P8 much more black. |
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Fig 3) Note the small bill and the heavily
smudged head. This bird has an unusually pale eye.
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