Galway Gull

[Dermot Breen]

Thoughts anyone?

Dermot

[Dermot Breen]

A few more

[MichaelF]

Location??

Edit: Ooops, Galway, didn't see it's in the title!

[Giroud Marc]

Probably a young American Herring Gull for me...

[Josh Jones]

Sure is what it looks like - nice bird Dermot, congrats!

Josh

[Dermot Breen]

First-winter Thayers Gull, probably a male. I finally got decent views of this bird, even better than a Smiths!

Dermot

[LeeEvans]

A very intriguing and baffling bird Dermot - of that there is no doubt. I have reservations though that it is a pure thayeri and still feel that many of the apparent features are far more indicative of North American Herring Gull. It seems far too dark for my liking for a juvenile Thayer's - even the smallest, darkest male - and does not have the tail pattern I would expect nor the scalloped affect on the scapulars and upper wing covert feathers.

Obviously, you have spent a lot of time studying this gull and have done excellently well in the very informative and qualititive set of images you have amassed - so I bow down to your investigations and findings

This bird is rather reminiscent of a bird claimed as (and accepted as) Thayer's Gull in County Mayo, sharing many pro-Smithsonianus features. It is much darker however and has an immaculate 'carpet' of smooth breast feathering.

Well done for sticking with it

All the very best

Lee

[LeeEvans]

Dermot

Many thanks for sending me the Japanese links - if these birds are 'true, pure' Thayer's Gulls then there seems little reason to deny your Galway juvenile this labelling. I have added the links along with your images on my Rare Bird Alert blog and will forward you any comments I receive. Martin Garner certainly agrees with your synopsis reading into his excitement.

[JanJ]

I had the same doubts as Lee and my immediate impression was of a small-billed smithsonianus. However, loooking at the last image, with a better colour balance, although this is a variable feature in young thayeri, together with pale edged and pattern of outer primaries, which differ from smithsonianus. Bunched primaries are darker than tertials (usually also than tail). In a funny way I have the feeling that the scapulars looks a bit large for thayeri.

JanJ

[Josh Jones]

Spoke too soon, it seems!