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adult winter
Mew Gull
All photos by Don DesJardin, copyright 1998.
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.

Fig 3) Note the small bill and the heavily smudged head. This bird has an unusually pale eye.





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