More on the Slaty-backed Gull.

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: A couple of people mentioned a few more things to think about as far as eliminating any other gull other than Slaty-backed Gull. : 1. One of these was if this could be the vega race of Herring Gull, we thought of this and the answer in NO. This bird is too dark for that, vega gulls are much lighter. : 2. I forgot to mention that some 2nd to perhaps 3rd year Lesser Black-backed Gulls can have pink legs, I have seen one that did. This bird is not a Lesser Black-backed Gull, it just does not have the right "Jizz". Plus the distinct pattern of the primary feathers on Slaty-backed Gull eliminates just about any other gull. The legs are a much richer darker pink as well. : 3. I should have mentioned in our description that this bird does have a dark smudge in front of the eye and a nice dark line in back of the eye. This is another good field mark for Slaty-backed Gull. : 4. The color of the mantle was also mentioned, is it dark enough? Well, this bird is very worn which would make the mantle lighter in color, if we are lucky this bird will stay until spring and will molt into fresh plumage. Than we will see a big difference in the color. : I would not be surprised if this bird stays through the winter, on the other hand though, I would go and see it as soon as possible in case it does decide to leave. : Larry Manfredi : Homestead, Fl. : E-mail: birderlm@bellsouth.net : http://www.southfloridabirding.com

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