Thayer's Gull at Bluffers Park in Toronto

Adult winter Thayer's Gull at Bluffers Park in Toronto on 12 January 2015. Its identification is based on a combination of 5 characters: (1) It has blackish wingtips approaching the black of Herring Gull, (2) with large white primary spots that are not enclosed by black as in Herring Gull, (3) the eye is dark, (4) the legs are a deep pink, (5) and the mantle shade is similar to Herring Gull. The head streaking and greenish bill are also typical of Thayer's in winter. We consider the Iceland-Kumlien's-Thayer's complex to be one species following Godfrey (1986) in The Birds of Canada and Snell (2002) in The Birds of North America. Nevertheless, this individual fits clearly within the Thayer's end of the cline.

 

Links

Variation in Iceland and Kumlien's Gulls

 

Kumlien's Gulls on 3 January 2015.