Christopher Lindsey
Slaty-backed Gull
Bateman Island, Benton County, WA. 2-13-16.
A considerate Slaty-backed cleaning the marina roof gutters. This photo shows the wide white trailing edge to the wings as well as the "string of pearls" running down the wingtips. This Slaty appears to be the same bird which was at Lower Monumental Dam (seen 1-8 to 1-11), the first record for Eastern Washington. Accepted by the WBRC.
ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27508727
ID Marks:
Wide white trailing edge to the wings,
String of pearls, unlike in Western or hybrids,
Somewhat light eye,
Light streaking on the head/neck region is fine because Slaty-backed Gulls are really variable (like the one at Gog-Le-Hi-Te Wetlands in Tacoma) and this bird's streaking was more evident in the field than in this photo,
Legs are very deep pink, Westerns have lighter pink feet,
Smudging around eye gives gull "eyebrowed" look,
Darker mantle than surrounding California Gulls (As dark as Lesser Black-backed Gull, also present). The Northern populations of Westerns have similar mantle shade to California, thus would also have lighter mantle shade than Slaty-backed.
Slaty-backed Gull
Bateman Island, Benton County, WA. 2-13-16.
A considerate Slaty-backed cleaning the marina roof gutters. This photo shows the wide white trailing edge to the wings as well as the "string of pearls" running down the wingtips. This Slaty appears to be the same bird which was at Lower Monumental Dam (seen 1-8 to 1-11), the first record for Eastern Washington. Accepted by the WBRC.
ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S27508727
ID Marks:
Wide white trailing edge to the wings,
String of pearls, unlike in Western or hybrids,
Somewhat light eye,
Light streaking on the head/neck region is fine because Slaty-backed Gulls are really variable (like the one at Gog-Le-Hi-Te Wetlands in Tacoma) and this bird's streaking was more evident in the field than in this photo,
Legs are very deep pink, Westerns have lighter pink feet,
Smudging around eye gives gull "eyebrowed" look,
Darker mantle than surrounding California Gulls (As dark as Lesser Black-backed Gull, also present). The Northern populations of Westerns have similar mantle shade to California, thus would also have lighter mantle shade than Slaty-backed.