Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Glaucous Gull

Reporter:
Cliff Weisse
4125 Beaver Springs Rd.
Island Park, ID 83429
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Other Observers: Jay Carlisle, Cheryl Huizinga, RL Rowland, Mark Collie

Date of Observation: 24 February 2009            Date Report Prepared: 27 Febriary 2009

Locality of Observation: Pickles Butte Landfill, Canyon County

Habitat: Garbage Dump

Conditions: Very windy, hard to even see through a scope because of the wind.  Sunny.  This bird was around for at least one hour and was seen mulitple times at different ranges standing, laying down, and in flight.

Did you take notes… No

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? No

Description: Very pale and large gull.  In direct comparison larger than Herring Gulls but not as large as some Glaucous I've seen.  Primaries whitish with no noticeable markings.  Base of primaries dusky.  Entire upperparts (scaps, all wing coverts) whitish with sparse brown markings.  Head flat with angled fore and hind crown.  Bill long and parallel edged; pink with sharply defined black tip.  Legs pink.  

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you?  I identified the bird immediately upon noticing it in flight.  The large size combined with overall white appearance and black-tipped pink bill are unlike any other gull and are immediately recognizable.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?  No other gull comes close to this bird.  Iceland Gull has similar plumage but is much smaller with much smaller bill.  The white primaries eliminate all other larus.  Ivory Gull has black legs and a black or dusky bill with yellow or red tip.

Experience with this species: I've seen maybe 12 Glaucous Gulls in the past.

General experience birding: 16 years

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you?  Photos / see below