Gull ID

[Marek]

Is that Great Black-Backed Gull in different stages of its life?

http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Gulls/Gull4
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Gulls/Gull3
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Gulls/Gull2
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Gulls/Gull

[Anonymous]

One of them is a Greater Black Backed Gull and I think that the other is an immature Glaucus Gull...but I could be wrong!  

Attila

[Kin Lau]

#4 is a Greater Black-backed Gull

My Sibley's states that even a 1st winter GBBG has a white head, so that rules out the 1st three.

#2 Looks like a Glaucous Gull due to the bi-colored bill.

#1 & 3 could be a Herring Gull.

[Marek]

They were huge comparing to the rest of Gulls. Doesn't it rule out Herring Gull? I don't know any more. The Sibley's Guide to Birds that I've recently purchase doesn't help in my case.

[Kin Lau]

A Herring gull is about 25 inchs, a Ring-billed about 17 inchs, so there is quite the size difference.

A GBBG is 30 in, almost the size of an Eagle and I've seen them flush other gulls, even some ducks.

[Tony Lang]

My opinion:

#1 is a Great Black-backed in Definitive Basic plumage (adult winter)

#2 are, at left: a Ring-billed in Definitive Basic (adult winter)
           at right: a Herring in Second Basic (2nd winter)

#3 is a Glaucous in First Basic (1st winter)

#4 is a Herring in First Basic (1st winter)

Cheers,
Tony

[Carl-Adam]

I agree with Tony on this one.