Adults - click on the links to go directly to the bird
Hybrid Gulls- Larus sp.
Adults : North America
Adult Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Roberts Lake, Monterey, California, USA, March 2007: 3 images
Very similar in appearance to both Western and American Herring Gulls however the slaty not black primaries rule out both of these species. The upper parts are to dark for an American Herring Gull and not dark enough for a Western Gull.
The broad white trailing edge indicates a Western Gull.
Note the third image below is direct comparison with a Western Gull, note the Westerns black primaries and darker upper-parts
Adult Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Roberts Lake, Monterey, California, USA, March 2007: 3 images
Very similar in appearance to both Western and American Herring Gulls however the slaty not black primaries rule out both of these species. The upper parts are to dark for an American Herring Gull and not dark enough for a Western Gull.
The broad white trailing edge indicates a Western Gull.
Note the third image below is direct comparison with a Western Gull, note the Westerns black primaries and darker upper-parts
Large North America west coast gull are a melting pot of hybrids of various ages and generations with most not being straight forward as one would hope in assigning parentage. Is it a Glaucous-winged Gull at the darker end of the scale to be a genuine bird or is it a hybrid? Is that first-winter dark gull with paler wing-coverts just a variation or is there mixed blood at play. Because of this and the fact I needed two of the gulls for my world gulls list it was major part in me returning to California several times.
I have covered a number of the ages and presumed hybrids in the following pages however as my experience of west coast hybrids is limited to not much more than a few weeks I may be wrong in some of my tentative identifications.
Adult presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Roberts Lake, Monterey, California, USA, 26th November 2009
A very bird and brutish bird. The slaty grey rather than black primaries indicate hybrid origin,
Adult presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Moss Landing, California, USA, 24th November 2009
A large bird with much more Glaucous-winged Gull appearance however note the dark wing-tips, rounded head and pale eye.
This individual could be with range of acceptable Glaucous-winged Gulls however it just doesn't have the 'feel' of a pure bird.
Adult presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Moss Landing, California, USA, 24th November 2009
Same bird as in the previous image.
The primaries still look on the dark side whilst the white trailing edge is perhaps a little narrow. There is a single large white mirror, on P10 and ghosting of a string of pearls. There is a dark band on P5.
Adult, or near adult, presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Salinas River Mouth, California, USA, 24th November 2009
Note the Glaucous-winged type fine barring on the head, neck and breast but the blackish primaries and darkish grey upper-parts.
Adult, or near adult, presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Bodega Bay, California, USA, 26th November 2009
Note the Glaucous-winged type fine barring on the head, neck and breast and the dusky primaries and pale grey upper-parts.
Adult, or near adult, presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Salinas River Mouth, California, USA, 26th November 2009
Note the Glaucous-winged type fine barring on the head, neck and breast but the blackish primaries and darkish grey upper-parts.
Adult presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Salinas River Mouth, California, USA, 25th November 2009
Note the Glaucous-winged type fine barring on the head, neck and breast but the blackish primaries and darkish grey upper-parts. This could be a paler occidentalis form of Western Gull? however it does appear to be to pale and Western Gulls, to my knowledge, don't show the fine barring to the head and neck at this age.
Adult presumed Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, Salinas River Mouth, California, USA, 26th November 2009
Note the Glaucous-winged type fine barring on the head, neck and breast but the blackish primaries and darkish grey upper-parts. This could be a paler occidentalis form of Western Gull? however it does appear to be to pale and Western Gulls, to my knowledge, don't show the fine barring to the head and neck at this age.
 Roberts Park Monterey (4).JPG)
 Roberts Park Monterey (5).JPG)
 Roberts Park Monterey (5).JPG)
