We took a trip to Oregon in January 2016 and drove up the coast from Newport to the Columbia River. We encountered western gulls along the coast. They have a white head and body with a dark gray back and pink legs. Breeding adults have an orange ring around the eye and a red spot on the lower mandible of the otherwise yellow bill.
Juveniles are a gray brown with a checkered back and wings and pink legs and a black bill.
The largest populations are near San Francisco and along the Oregon coast.
I still have a hard time seeing any difference among the various subspecies of gulls. You have a great eye.
ReplyDelete