Steve,

Two things to consider in identifying a first-winter Lesser Black-backed 
Gull are size and color.

As you know, a Lesser Black-backed Gull is smaller than a Herring Gull.  The 
head is smaller and rounder.  The chest is less robust.  The bill is all 
black and much smaller, with less of a gonydeal angle.

The colors of first-winter birds of the two species are distinctly 
different.  For Herring Gulls, the overall colors are shades of brown.  This 
can range from pale tan to dark brown.  For Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the 
overall colors are shades of black.  The color differences are illustrated 
fairly nicely in "The Sibley Guide to Birds," pages 216 and 225.

If the bird in question is in flight, there are two additional characters to 
focus on: the inner primaries and the upper tail coverts (rump).  On a 
Herring Gull, the inner primaries are pale creating a "window" in the wing 
and the rump is dark.  On a Lesser Black-backed Gull, the characters are 
reversed.  The inner primaries are dark (no window) and the rump is 
distinctly pale to the point of looking white.

I hope this helps.

Gene


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Horvath" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 6:41 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Piney Run Lesser Black-backed Gull


However at Piney Run I found a dark gull that fit the size of a Lesser-black 
Backed. However I did not rule out Herring Gull. (Gulls aren't my strong 
point.) The field guides don't give much detail at identifying the Lesser 
black-backed Gull. Can anybody give me some pointers as to how to identify a 
first year Lesser Black-backed Gull?