Iceland Gull

Nominate species: Medium large gull - marginally smaller than Herring Gull. Pale in all plumages. Adults: with usually all white primaries and very pale grey mantle. Bill yellowish green with orange gony spot on lower mandible. Juveniles: very pale grey/almost white mantle. Primaries white with minimal fawn barring (very variable). Bill shows extensive dark tip with flesh base from 2cy until 3/4cy (cf. neat pattern on immature Glaucous with 'jagged' edge to dark tip on Iceland.) Bill all dark in 1cy. Underparts marbled fawn (darkness variable). Face/head similar to Common Gull with large dark eye and rounded head (headshape variable and can look 'boxy') Confusion species: 1.Unusually pale/leucistic Herring Gull - Head shape, primary projection and bill pattern good distinguishing features. 2. Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) - Head shape on Glaucous more 'triangular' with longer sloping forehead and smaller eye than Iceland Gull. Bill pattern on immature gulls - neat black tip on Glaucous and more extensive uneven black tip on Iceland. Wing projection shorter on Glaucous. Glaucous Gulls are similar in size to Great Black Backed Gulls. Adult bill colour always more Herring Gull like cf. to Iceland with similar bill colour to Common Gull.