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Michael Todd | all galleries >> Birds: non-passerines >> Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers,Alcids >> Iceland Gull > Iceland Gull
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2/7/07 Michael Todd

Iceland Gull

Pace Point area; Henry Co TN

As is often the case on KY Lake, this bird was a little out of range for me.

But, even in my bad shots, the very uniform frosty look comes through. When I initially saw the bird in the distance, Iceland was the 1st thing to come to mind. I was able to get a little closer, and eliminate Glaucous, Thayer's, or an aberrant form of a common gull. The bird was too small and pale for most of the funky hybrid combinations.

The bird was a very uniform off-white, with no dark in the primaries at all that I could see (though a small amount was probably present, and typical in Kumlien's, which this bird most likely was), no secondary bar, and a barely noticeable, diffuse tailband. There was no hint of a mask that Thayer's usually shows. All of these things point away from Thayer's. The small bill was all-dark.

Notice how pale the underside of the right wing is, with no dark on the tips at all.

Nikon Coolpix 4500 ,Pentax PF-80ED

other sizes: small medium original auto
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