| |
Bird Photos: Rarities: Kumlein's Iceland Gull in
Milpitas
This second cycle apparent Kumlein's form of Iceland
Gull was found by Al Jaramillo at Hidden Lake Park in Milpitas,
CA, on 2/22/05. Iceland Gulls reported in California go through
a lot of scrutiny. And it seems that often, on the West Coast,
what is called a Kumlein's race of Iceland Gull, a darker form,
is called a Thayer's Gull by East Coast larophiles (larid, or
gull, enthusiasts). It is worth noting that Al is an avid West
Coast larophile and is a careful, studied observer of plumage
and structure of all species. He has posted a good explanation
of his thoughts on his website.
Complications of this identification include the difficulty of
assessing plumage because of wear and bleaching, the difference
in opinion of what these forms look like in the East and West,
and the taxonomy and relationship of Thayer's and Iceland gulls
and the Kumlein's form. The exact relationship is a grand subject
of controversy. Some people feel that the Kumlein's form is a
hybrid of Thayer's and Iceland gulls. Others feel that Thayer's
and Iceland should be lumped. Thorough field studies on breeding
grounds, banding studies and recoveries, and DNA work might clear
up this picture. Or not.
| |
 |
|
 |
|
I photographed this on 2/24/05.
It was an overcast day which, in some ways, helps with capturing
the tonality of gray and white birds, but yields softer
images with mushy detail.
Structurally, the bird is midsized with a
round head and small bill. These features give it a gentle
appearance, good for an Iceland Gull.
The small patch of pale gray feathers on
the mantle indicate that this is a gull in its 2nd plumage
cycle. The pale primary tips and pale markings in the wing
coverts are unlike Thayer's gulls at this age in fresh plumage.
The problem is that some Thayer's gulls in their 2nd cycle
at this time of year may have very bleached and worn feathers
that may approach the tones of this bird. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
| I am not a larophile and
have not seen Kumlein's or other Iceland Gulls. I can't
offer an opinion of what this bird is. I have put up images
that might help the assessment of this bird.
Head close-up, below. Note eye color and
bill structure. |
|
Note: there were many Thayer's
Gulls present in various stages of plumage and wear. There
was one, or two, 1st or 2nd cycle birds that had primary
tips paler than most of the other Thayer's in similar plumage,
but they were still darker than that on this bird.
De-tail... primaries seem to show some fraying,
which is likely on exposed white feathers. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
The above, out-of-focus, flight shot gives
some idea of spread-wing and tail plumage. |
|
More revealed while the bird
preened. |
| |
|
|
| Below, I placed some images of 1st cycle Thayer's
Gulls for comparison. The bill structure between these two
birds (same bird on top row, different bird on lower row)
seem different. The upper bird appears to have a thinner bill. |
|
If I can get back over to this
location, I'll try to get some 2nd cycle Thayer's shots to
add to this page for a better comparison of similar cycle
birds. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
PLEASE DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY
IMAGE WITHOUT ACQUIRING
PERMISSION TO DO SO. You may create links to these pages.
All images on this page are copyrighted by Les Chibana.
If you'd like to contact me about images on these pages,
grab the pigeon on the left and send a note. |
|
|
|
|
