This gull was at Elliot Landfill, Corpus Christi, Texas on April
20, 2005; I feel that it has many features of a first-winter Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus,
especially the tail pattern, bill shape, and overall structure.
I'd appreciate feedback/other suggestions - thanks:
Note that the outer retrices have no barring at all:
- rather they have plain diffuse pale bases, with some limited
tiny pale spots and notches - typical of SBGU:
in the pic below a displaced retrix shows its unbarred base:
even from below there is no hint of barring in the retrices:
