Utah Winter Gulls

  
by Dennis Shirley


General Information  |  Gull Identification  |  Immature Gulls  |  Key to Adult Gulls  |  Species List  |

    
     Ring-billed Gull
  (similar species)
  
Breeding Adult - black ring on yellow bill with yellow tip; pale eye
Photo by Marvis Collett    ©Marvis Collett
  

Non-breeding Adult - streaking on neck (but not as much as Herring Gull)
by Jack Binch   ©Jack Binch
  
1st Winter - Splotchy pale gray mantle, pink legs, pink bill with black tip
by Ted Fitzgerald   ©Ted Fitzgerald
  

1st Winter Flying - Black terminal tail band, no white spots on wing tips,
indistinct carpal bar (at bend of wing)
by Kent Keller   ©Kent R. Keller
  

 

2nd Winter - speckled or broken terminal band on tail, wingtips black with few white spots
by  Margaret T. Sanchez   ©Margaret T. Sanchez
  
  

Ring-billed Gull

Similar Species
   1st Winter California - RBGU slightly smaller, shorter-billed. Adult RB paler gray on mantle, with whtie eyes, black bill ring.  First-winter RB whiter below than same age Dal.; shows pale gray on back and tail with thinner, dark subterminal band.  Third-winter Cal. may show distinct black ring on bill, but have darker mantle than Ring-billed and never have pale eyes.
   1st Winter Mew -  has a  much finer bill, darker but less spotted under parts, less distinct wing and tail pattern
   2nd Winter Mew   - has a darker gray mantle and dark eyes.
   Adult Mew Gull -  has an unmarked bill.
   Immature Herring Gull - is similar; Winter Ring-billed Gulls are far less streaked on the neck. Juveniles and first-winter Ring-billeds are paler overall than Herring Gulls especially on the head and underparts; these areas are white with varying amounts of black spotting on the hind neck; has a rounder head.
   2nd year and adult Black-legged Kittiwake - may be somewhat similar.

            

1st winter Ring-billed - lighter below than California (notice gray on back)
   Photo by Ted Fitzgerald   ©Ted Fitzgerald
  
 

1st winter California - is darker below than Ring-billed (see above)
   Photo
by Paul Higgins   ©Paul Higgins
  

1st Winter Mew Gull - has a much finer bill, darker but less spotted under parts,
 less distinct wing and tail pattern than a Ring-billed
   Photo by Paul Higgins   ©Paul Higgins
  

Juvenile Herring Gull - Juveniles and first-winter Herring Gulls are darker overall
especially on the head and underparts; these areas in the Ring-billed are whiter with varying
amounts of black spotting on the back of the neck; the Ring-billed Gull has a rounder head.

by Ryan Houston   ©Ryan Houston
  

  
 
 

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