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adult winter
Glaucous-winged x
Western Gull hybrid
Fig 1) Note the smudged, not streaked head, typical of Glaucous-winged Gull, as well as the pale yellow bill with dark mark. The rest of this bird (wings and mantle) is fairly typical of Western Gull. Redding, CA. December 2003. Photo courtesy of Ray Bruun, copyright 2003.
Fig 2) This is a rather unusual one. It has the bright bill of a Western Gull, as well as blackish primary tips and a reasonably dark mantle, but the extensive head smudging of a Glaucous-winged Gull. photo courtesy of Don DesJardin, copyright 1998

w/ Slaty-backed "string of pearls"

                     P10   P9    P8    P7    P6

The upper wing surface of a Western Gull X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid (specimen #WFB2497 at the University of California at Davis, taken January 25, 1985 one mile south of the Columbia River jetty, OR). Note the pronounced "string of pearls" (white tongue-tips to P6-8) and even the hint of a pale tongue-tip on primary 9. This specimen was originally labelled a Western Gull, probably due to its sparse head markings and rather dark mantle. Photo by Thomas Cahill, copyright 1997.





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