[hawker]

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone is staying safe in the snow today.
So, I was looking through my photos, and ran across a paler striped/spotted bird that I am having some issues identifying. The images were taken August 13 2016 off the south jetty at Iona Beach, which does have Jaegers. I am looking through my National Geographic Complete birds of North America, and am reading the identifying hints and still playing a guessing game. I am stuck on whether or not this bird is a Gull, or a Jaeger.

On flight profile, this stuck out to me as typical of a jaeger, just the really long, and pointed wings. Looking at it from the side, the bill is short, and pointed. There is no defined "tip" like a Jaeger, but looking at the tail, there is notch in the center, where the long feathers would or should be. The tail is dark in colour, but the rest of the body is a little light for a Jaeger although the patterning does not seem gullish..

Hence the guessing game. Maybe someone can provide some insight, or better resources in deferentiating the two?

Thank you in advance!!!

[birdergirl]

Hi this is actually a juvenile Ring-billed Gull, note how small and dainty it is. Note how it's juvenile gull and not a Jaeger because on your bird the black primaries are contrasting with the pale rest of the wing. The black in the tail is very contrasty. Jaegers are more uniform you wouldn't see the same contrast.

Here is more info on this species :

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/id

Cheers,
Mel

[hawker]

Thanks Mel, was sort of hoping this was going to be a bird more interesting than our regulars. Alas lol back to looking through old shots and culling..

[birdergirl]

Don't worry Camille.

Juvenile Gulls and Juvenile Jaegers are one of the toughest things to learn.

Don't stop looking at those old shots, it's how you found that BHGU I remember .

All the best,
Mel