Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus) Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae)
dk: Sølvmåge es: Gaviota Plateada
2051 (1 photos) 2009-04-29 Las Coloradas, Yucatán (Yuc), Mexico
2cy - 2 cycle bird. Very worn and bleached with beginning molt of back feathers. The dusky color of the forehead looks unnatural - dirt?
2052 (3 photos) 2009-04-29 Las Coloradas, Yucatán (Yuc), Mexico
2cy - 2 cycle bird. This one is also very worn and bleached, which could suggest that it spent the whole winter down here in the strong sunlight. Some back feathers and inner primaries molted.
2053 (2 photos) 2009-04-29 Las Coloradas, Yucatán (Yuc), Mexico
2cy - 2 cycle bird. Not as worn and bleached as 2052, but still affected by the strong sunlight I suppose. Also here it looks like the the inner primaries and some back feathers have been changed.
Adult and 1cy bird. On the adult the limited black hand and especially the p5 without any black spots are good indications of this subspecies, and not argenteus which normally has a more western distribution.
1 cycle (2cy). Tentatively calling this a Herring Gull though the resemblance to a California Gull is big. I base this mainly on the great amount of white in the outer tail, which should be unusual for a California. And also on the obvious pale wedge in the hand which you normally don't see on a California either. However, the overall impression of the bird, structure and colors, leans more toward a California if you ask me...
Adult trying to repeat the success the Great Black-backed Gull had yesterday extracting a piece of bread from the same plastic bag. But of course it was empty and soon forgotten by the gull; now destined to fly to unknown places by the fresh northwestern wind.