Gull SE Pennsylvania Dec. 2015 (1 Viewer)

[jmercer]

I took this picture (not very good) of a brown gull flying with three adult Ring-bill Gulls. I thought is was a Herring Gull by coloration, but it did not seem to be larger than the other gulls. Looking at the picture, it seems too dark for Ring-bill and too light for Herring. Juvenile gulls are a struggle because they have so many possible combinations, so I thought I would see if anyone has a thought on this bird. I am attaching the juvenile and a picture of an adult Ring-bill taken when they were about the same location in the sky for size reference.
Thanks,

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Looks ok for Herring to me. Looks quite skinny though

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I'm seeing a dark ring on the bill in the second shot.

Ring-billed

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

I'm seeing a dark ring on the bill in the second shot.

Ring-billed

The OP said the second one was an adult Ring-billed for comparison. The first doesn't strike me as Ring-billed?

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

The OP said the second one was an adult Ring-billed for comparison. The first doesn't strike me as Ring-billed?

Oops. Sorry.

Where in SE PA was it? That might narrow down the options.

But if it was near Tullytown, anything might be possible.

 

[jmercer]

No, near West Chester, I just wanted to be sure it was not some exotic that snuck in somehow. The closest I could find in the book was Mews, but what are the odds, they are a western bird, so it is either an unidentified or I can be convinced it is a Herring, it just looks too light and too small for Herring

 

[lou salomon]

looks good for american herring gull on what can be seen. size is variable, some females being surprisingly small.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

In West Chester, herring gull would be the most probable gull after ring-bill.

 

[jmercer]

Thanks