The only gull nesting along most of the Pacific Coast from Washington to Baja, this large species is common at all seasons. Abstract. Did you know? Steve points out that next bird is much like a first-cycle Western Gull, but the folded primaries are not dark enough and tipped pale. Also, this gull has no black at all—the primaries (wingtips) are the same light gray as its back— and both its legs and its orbital ring are pink. The Olympic Gull is a hybrid between Glaucous-winged and Western Gull, and according to this abstract has greater fitness than either parental form. It is also known as Olympic Gull. As nouns the difference between seagull and gull is that seagull is any of several white, often dark backed birds of the family laridae having long pointed wings and short legs while gull is a seabird of the genus larus or of the family laridae or gull can be (slang) a cheating trick; a fraud. Following on from the Western Gull pictures in the last post, here is a shot of an Olympic Gull taken along 17-mile drive in California. birdwatching. Western Gulls frequently hybridize with Glaucous-winged Gulls and often display intermediate plumage characteristics, leading to identification confusion between these and other large gulls. This entry was posted in Gulls and tagged hybrid, Olympic, western. The Glaucous-winged Gull is the most abundant and widespread gull in Washington. Seagull is a synonym of gull. Glaucous-winged Gull X Western Gull is a common hybrid, especially along the Washington state coast. whatever you want to call it, if you are looking at or listening to birds you should be … Birds that look mostly like Glaucous-wingeds can have strongly checked upperparts typical of Western Gull, whereas birds that look mostly like Western Gulls can exhibit delayed PA1 molt and then attain relatively plain, medium gray scapulars typical of Glaucous-winged Gull. The only gull nesting along most of the Pacific Coast from Washington to Baja, this large species is common at all seasons. Western Gulls congregate in large numbers along the coast. Following on from the Western Gull pictures in the last post, here is a shot of an Olympic Gull taken along 17-mile drive in California. It’s relatively easy to pick out from other gulls—most species have black wingtips, but adult Glaucous-winged Gulls have pearly gray wingtips that match the color of the rest of the back and upperwing. The only large gull common in the high Arctic, although a couple of small gulls are successful there as well. Generally found around cold waters, but a few Glaucous Gulls (mostly young birds) may leave the Arctic and move far south in winter, sometimes reaching Florida, Texas, or northwestern Mexico. On the west coast near the border of USA and Canada, hybrids between Western Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls (often called Olympic Gulls) can actually outnumber either pure species. HOME. r/birding: birding. Individuals as dark as this one should not pose any identification problems in Europe. Its bill is heavy for American Herring Gull x Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid, and the hint of a dark mask is suggestive of Western Gull heritage.