My Gulls - with pictures

[Jason Green]

I have now uploaded the pictures, I do know Ring-billed Gulls have been seen within a mile or so of the location, though it does of course bear resemblance to a winter Common.

With pictures now attached, what do you think? Sorry about the digital zoom...


Gull 1


Gull 2


Gull 3

[GuyF]

These are all winter plumaged Common Gulls.
Guy

[Jason Green]

What would be the difference between these Commons and a Ring-billed aesthetically?

[GuyF]

There are probably more differences, but the 2 I can think of are:
1. A Ring-billed Gull would have an obvious yellow eye (like a Herring Gull) while Common Gulls eyes are darker.
2. The ring on the bill of a Ring-billed Gull would be quite thick and black, and it would be consistent all the way around the beak.
Hope that helps,
Guy

[paulchandler6]

Ring-billed Gull also looks larger and heavier than Common also with a fiercer expression.

Paul

[Adam Cheeseman]

Ring-billed Gulls have a barrel-chested appearance that makes them look front heavy. Their mantle is also lighter grey than common, which is more obvious in flight than at rest. If memory serves me right their heads are also clean white in winter unlike the common gull.

Cheers,

Adam

[Jason Green]

Thanks for the IDs. Commons are less, common, in Greenwich. Black-headeds are far more frequent. I have also seen the Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed and Herring with young. I also saw a Glaucous inland which I was quite surprised by.