Re: Sandgate Gull and the "H" word (long)
Tyler Bell (bell@say.acnatsci.org)
Fri, 19 Feb 1999 13:09:38 -0500
For those of you who are interested in ruling out the F1 hybrid
possibility, check out this web site:
http://losbird.org/kelp.htm
--
Good Birding! The probability of a given
Tyler Bell event occurring is inversely
mailto:bell@say.acnatsci.org proportional to its desirability.
California, MD
http://www.audubon.org/chapter/md/smas/
GREGORY.B.MILLER@bge.com wrote:
>
> Howdy All!
>
> I have had interest at the outset whether or not this bird displayed
> characteristics of some hybrid (the "H" word). I will not go into great
> detail as I am no expert on the matter. I have, however, out of my own
> personal interest, perused some interesting information and photographs of
> known hybrid gulls on the internet that would pose a possibility for the
> Sandgate Gull. Following is a brief summary--readable, I hope. Again,
> these are only my observations...
>
> Kelp Gull X Herring Gull
>
> -some of these have been found in Louisiana
> -Herring Gull size; Sandgate Gull similar, but appears chunkier [to
> me]
> -these have dark gray mantles; Sandgate Gull is easily blacker -these
> gulls have the bill of a Kelp Gull; so does the Sandgate
> Gull
> -on the upperwing, these gulls show distinctly darker primaries; the
> Sandgate Gull also has darker primaries, but the distinction is
> far less than the photos of these hybrids on the internet
> -on the underwing, these hybrids are light, except for the darker
> primaries; on the Sandgate Gull, the dark color continues inward into the
> secondaries, diffusing only a short distance from the body (this, I
> understand, is a key difference in separating this hybrid from a Kelp Gull)
>
> -Greg Miller
> Baltimore, MD