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Nick Komar | profile | all galleries >> Birds >> Large Gulls >> Lesser Black-backed Gulls >> graellsi (5th cycle and definitive adult) >> Lesser Black-backed Gull (5th cycle) 20 September 2006, Horseshoe Lake, Loveland, Colorado tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Lesser Black-backed Gull (5th cycle) 20 September 2006, Horseshoe Lake, Loveland, Colorado

Lesser Black-backed Gull is rare in Colorado in the winter months from November to April. Seeing one in September is very unusual, although single birds have popped up during the last 2 summers in Eastern Colorado. This bird is molting into definitive basic plumage from its 4th alternate plumage, so it would be a 5th cycle bird, or just over 4 years old. The photos are witness quality, due to poor light and digiscoping through a Kowa TSN-4 15x Telescope. Photos on page 2 have been autocorrected and make the gull appear darker-backed. An uncorrected photo is presented for comparison.
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Dark gray mantle and long wings extending several inches beyond the tail is a good field mark.
Dark gray mantle and long wings extending several inches beyond the tail is a good field mark.		 LBBG with similarly sized California Gulls and American White Pelicans
LBBG with similarly sized California Gulls and American White Pelicans		 The inner primaries are molting. The unmolted outer primaries are patterned typically for a 4th cycle bird.
The inner primaries are molting. The unmolted outer primaries are patterned typically for a 4th cycle bird.		 Another view of molt in the wings. I wish this was a better-quality photo.
Another view of molt in the wings. I wish this was a better-quality photo.		 A better view of molting primaries.
A better view of molting primaries.
Like page 1 images, this image is uncorrected
Like page 1 images, this image is uncorrected		 Same image, but corrected. Note the yellow legs, which are typical of an adult.
Same image, but corrected. Note the yellow legs, which are typical of an adult.		 The entirely yellow bill with the red gonydeal spot indicates an adult.
The entirely yellow bill with the red gonydeal spot indicates an adult.		 The gull behind is a 1st cycle Ring-billed Gull.
The gull behind is a 1st cycle Ring-billed Gull.		 The dark-mantled gull on the right is the California Gull
The dark-mantled gull on the right is the California Gull
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