|
Ring-billed
Gull Identification Tips |
(Credit:
U. S. Geological Survey) |
|
General
Information
- Medium-sized gull
- Fairly short, small bill with indistinct gonydeal angle
Adult alternate
- Bright yellow bill with complete black ring at gonys
- Bright yellow legs
- Yellow eye
- White head, neck, breast and belly
- Pale gray back and upperwings
- White tertial crescent
- Black primaries with white tips and two white mirrors
on outer primaries
- White tail
Adult basic
- Like adult alternate but thin dark streaks about head
and duller soft parts
Juvenile
- Black bill quickly developing pale base
- Pale head, breast, back and belly with light brown
scalloping
- Dark upperwing coverts with wide white edgings
- Pale belly
- Dark outer primaries
- Dark terminal band on white tail
First-year
- Pink bill with black tip
- Pink or gray legs
- White head, neck and upper breast streaked with
brown
- Pale gray back
- Upperwing coverts dull brown
- Pale gray secondaries
- Black primaries
- Dark terminal band on white tail
Second-year
- Like adult basic but often with black-tipped yellow bill,
entirely dark primaries and partial tail band
Similar species
Adult Herring Gulls are similar to
Ring-billed Gulls but are much larger, have pinkish legs, and a much
thicker yellow bill with more pronounced gonys. First-winter Herring
Gulls are much browner, but second and third-winter birds can be confusing
since soft part colors are variable and third-year Herring Gull often
show a ring around the bill. Such birds are most easily distinguished
by the larger size and larger bill of Herring Gull.
California Gulls are more similar in size and shape but are still
larger and bigger-billed. Adults are darker-backed than Ring-billeds,
with a brown eye, heavier head streaking, and a different bill pattern.
Immatures are browner overall and show less contrast between the upperwing
coverts and the secondaries.
Adult Mew Gulls have unmarked bills, a darker gray back and are smaller.
Juvenile Mew Gulls are much darker. First and second-winter Mew Gulls
have a darker gray back and a daintier appearance.
Common Black-headed and Bonaparte's Gulls are somewhat smaller in
winter but have dark auriculars and very different wing markings in
flight. Winter adult Black-legged Kittiwake has a plain yellow bill
and entirely black wingtips. |
|
|
Return
to Ring-billed Gull page |
|
|
|
|
|