tags: Lake Gull, Common Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ring-billed Gull, also known as the Common Gull or Lake Gull, Larus delawarensis, photographed at Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, March 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/640s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
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Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2009 [larger view].
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tags: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
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Image: Joseph Kennedy, 8 April 2010 [larger view].…
The light mantle and the yellow legs make me want to choose the one whose locale reminds me of that of a politician who was in the news lately for using a vulgar expression as an expression of opprobrium when referring to a particularly contentious piece of legislation.
Does the 24 hour rule apply to noobs? Or is it there so noobs like me have a chance to ring the bell?
Benton, you guessed it -- the 24 hour rule is to give the noobs, as you put it, a shot. Have fun.
And John, for once I got the joke -- sounds like you're right on.
Benton: if you are a beginning birder, you are welcome to make an ID, provided that you discuss the field marks that led you to your conclusion.
I hinted at my answer above. Yellow legs, light grey back, black wingtips, makes it most likely Ring-billed Gull.
A close second would be the California gull, which I think is what John was hinting at (Californicus?). It's a bit outside the range, and in the pictures I see the white tips on the secondaries should be more distinct.
Benton,
I think you are right but I thought John was hinting at the state the VP was from.
Feather duster. Lots of feathers, and a stick to hold. Two sticks, actually, so I guess this model is for the dust that fights back (when you need a two-handed grip).
Ah right, that politician.
Benton -- looks like you nailed the ID, so I thought I'd add a couple of notes. California Gull, as you mentioned, would be close in leg color, but it would be darker on the mantle, as would Mew Gull, another contender with yellow legs. Both of them would show larger white mirrors on the outer primaries, as well. (That would be the round white spots just barely visible on the edges of the primaries).
A very rare (around here, at least) possibility that is harder to rule out is Yellow-legged Gull (Larus micahellis). Nat. Geo. states that the mantle should be a bit darker than our Herring Gulls, and thus darker than a Ring-billed, but it's not as obvious a difference as in California or Mew.