first winter Gl-W x Herring Gull

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possible
Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull
juvenile

January 20, 2000
Palo Alto Baylands, CA
photos courtesy of Mike Rogers, copyright 2000

Fig 1) This bird seems like a regular Glaucous-winged Gull, except that it is so well-patterned on the coverts and tertials. The bill is typical for a Glaucous-winged Gull. It is still in juvenile plumage except for a few first winter feathers coming in on the scapulars.

Fig 2) The pale chevrons at the tips of the secondaries are quite attractive. I normally associate such a pattern more with Glaucous Gull, but it does show up on other birds (often in the tertials).

Fig 3) The primaries and secondaries seem typical for Glaucous-winged, even the fact that the outer webs of the outer primaries are darker than the outer webs of the inner primaries.