Iceland Gull

Utah Winter Gulls

by Dennis Shirley

     Iceland Gull (similar species)

(No photo of Adults -- if you have one, please send it in)
(See Glaucous Gull below)

Adult Iceland Gull has a pale gray mantle, white flight feathers, a yellow bill
with a red spot near the tip of the lower mandible, pink legs, and yellow eye..

First Winter - whitish overall with buff or grayish mottling everywhere except on the
pale flight feathers (these feathers are the palest part of the plumage).
Photo by Paul Higgins ©Paul Higgins

First Winter - bill is all or mostly dark but becomes lighter at base towards the 2nd Year;
indistinct tail band suggested be some mottling
Photo by Paul Higgins ©Paul Higgins

Iceland Gull

Similar Species

Glaucous Gulls - are almost identical to Iceland adult. May have a flatter rather than rounder head. Glaucous has a bulkier bill, head and neck; Wing tips of Glaucous at rest can extend beyond tail a distance no greater than bill length.

Thayer's Gull - Paler Thayer's Gulls are not always separable from darker adult Iceland Gulls; Thayer's usually has more black in upperwing tips; the mantle sometimes darker; eyes might be a lighter brown or dark yellow color. Paler first winter Thayer's Gulls are sometimes not distinguishable from first winter Iceland Gulls, but they usually have more an obvious solid gray or brown subterminal tail band and a dark-light-dark pattern to the flight feathers, with inner primaries being the palest part of the upperwing surface.

Glaucous-winged Gulls - are very similar, but has a stouter bill.

Breeding Adult Glaucous Gull - almost identical to Iceland adult. May have a flatter
rather than rounder head. Glaucous has a bulkier bill, head and neck; Wing tips
of Glaucous at rest can extend beyond tail a distance no greater than bill length
Photo by Paul Higgins ©Paul Higgins

1st Winter Iceland - usually not as dark on wing tips, mantle often paler, eye color possibly
darker brown. (First-year Iceland sometimes not distinguishable from pale first-winter Thayer's).
Photo by Paul Higgins ©Paul Higgins