Gary,

Whenever I am in the field specifically gull watching (Conowingo, landfills, 
wastewater treatment plants), I always have my gull library with me in the 
car.  True, they are not all field guides.  These include (from older to 
newer):

Grant, P. J.  1986.  Gulls: A Guide to Identification (Second Edition). 
Buteo Books.  352 pp.
(I grew up on this guide.  It is a bit dated and long out-of-print.  Black 
and white sketches and photographs)

Olsen, Klaus Malling, and Hans Larsson.  2004.  Gulls of North America, 
Europe, and Asia.  Princeton University Press.  608 pp.
(I really like this guide and recommend it [and their related guide, Terns 
of Europe and North America].  Both are a wealth of information with great 
color plates and photographs.)

Howell, Steve N. G., and Jon Dunn.  2007.  A Reference Guide to Gulls of the 
Americas. Houghton Mifflin Company.  516 pp.
(The newest.  Also a wealth of information with great color plates and 
photographs.  They have changed the aging terminology from summer and winter 
plumages to cycles.  While I like the book, I have not adopted the 
terminology and I am still a holdout, using summer and winter plumages.)

For completeness, I will mention the following book.  I do not take it in 
the field.
Dwight, Jonathan, M.D.  1925.  The Gulls (Laridae) of the World: Their 
Plumages, Moults, Variations, Relationships and Distributions.  Bulletin of 
the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. LII, Art. III,  pp. 63-401.
(It is dated and long, long out-of-print and very expensive if a seller can 
even be found.)

For a general field guide with good gull plates, I recommend:
Dunn, Jon L., and Jonathan Alderfer.  2006.  National Geographic Field Guide 
to the Birds of North America (Fifth Edition).  National Geographic Society. 
503 pp.
(This is the best for carrying in your pocket for a quick look-up.)

There you have it.  more then you wanted to know about gull guides.
Gene


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Ender (home)" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 9:34 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Book advice - Gulls


>A kind benefactor has offered to increase my minimal bird book library by 
>one.  In reviewing some posts and pictures of glaucous gulls and the few 
>pictures in Sibley, it is clear that Sibley is not adequate for IDing all 
>the forms and variations.
>
> What would be a good field guide for eastern and/or US gulls?
>
> Thanks in advance for your advice.
>
> Gary Ender
> Bethesda MD