Home | What's New | About Martin | Contact | Can I use these Images? | General Links |
 Gulls | Other Birds: Identification | Other Birds: Interesting/Unusual | Dragonflies | Butterflies | Other Wildlife | Scenics | Places
Gull Links |

These definitive-basic Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus graellsii) were photographed by Martin Reid in Texas:
1) Corpus Christi on January 6, 2001, this image provides an excellent comparison of mantle shades for Ring-billed, Laughing, smith. Herring, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Texas; typically, the LBBG is slightly darker than LAGU:

2) Corpus Christi on January 6, 2001, taken at the same location as 1) above, this individual is rather different, being darker-mantled, darker-eyed, later in primary molt (P9 is just appearing beyond P8), and with the streaking strongest on the lower nape; note also the rather slim body, blood-red gonydal spot, small apical spots, and small P10 mirror well-separated from the tip:

3) Lake Lewisville (north of Dallas) on January 8, 2001; note:- how the lighting/angle affects the tone of the mantle; the dumpy body shape (on a fairly warm, sunny afternoon); the fairly large apical spots; the clean yellow bill with blood-red gonydal spot; the very late molt (P8 is the longest, with P9 well short of the wing-tip and P10 not yet half-grown)