Iceland/Kumlien's Gull (1 Viewer)

[Hotspur]

This gull has generated a lot of discussion in Yorkshire about whether it is an Iceland with dark in the primaries or a pale Kumlien's Gull. I managed some shots today which show the primary marks well and wonder on peoples thoughts. Martin Garner has blogged about this bird with positive comments generally from gullers both sides of the Atlantic but birdguides are reporting it as an Iceland without even a caveat that it is interesting whilst RBA are reporting it as a Kumlien's. IMO the current thinking on Kumlien's Gull as a hybrid swarm would mean that the dark patterning (as opposed to a uniform melanism) would indicate introgression of Thayer's genes and thus it should be a Kumlien's. Anybody care to comment?

 

[Phil Carter]

I think your last sentence confirms my suspicions that they should all be called Seagulls.

Phil

 

[KenM]

Would a 1st Winter Kumlien's Gull show patterning (albeit reduced) on the tertials...as appears to be on this bird?

cheers

 

[lou salomon]

these are some juv/1st winter kumlien's:

http://birdingnewfoundland.blogspot.de/2011/02/iceland-gulls-part-1-juv1st-winter.html

i hope chris gibbins soon will pull out some 1st winters too, he recently visited new-foundland and provided some brilliant pics of mostly adults here: http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.de/2013/02/lighter-shades-of-pale-some-adult.html

on the OB - to my eyes it looks like a good iceland gull but i'm not really competent in details of the glaucoides-kumlien's-thayeri complex.
cheers

 

[Hotspur]

Some thoughts on it by Martin Garner:

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2013/01/14/interesting-iceland-gull-at-bridlington/

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2013/01/19/juvenile1st-winter-iceland-and-kumliens-gull-identification/

And by Garry Taylor

http://yorkslister.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/first-for-yorkshire.html

http://yorkslister.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/more-on-kumliensiceland-gulls.html