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#88085
This gull looked a bit unusual to me and I'm wondering if it's a young California gull rather than a Ring-billed. Sadly I don't have a better picture to show its eye colour.

The shape looks right for California as well as those "rusty" spots on the sides that I've seen in 2nd and 3rd-year California gull pictures.

Thoughts?

Image
#88088
Not the best at gull ID but i'll give it a try.

First of all, it looks possible for it to be a CAGU. 1st or 2nd year of CAGU and RBGU are similar as the bill rings are both at the end of the bill as the RBGU haven't acquired their telltale ring around the middle of the bill. From what I've seen is that 1st or 2nd year of RBGU are quite mottled and dark, but the 1st or 2nd year CAGUs are more lightly coloured like this specimen. So leaning towards CAGU, but definitely far from 100% sure.
#88099
I'm no gull expert either. I was actually leaning towards ring-billed. I reviewed with a friend as well who is the best gull ID person I know and he was suspecting ring-billed as well.
#88103
Thank you both for your thoughts - I’m leaning more towards Ring-billed again now after comparing the bill to pictures of both species. I’ve also noticed a few more recently that look like this one, so perhaps it’s not that unusual at this particular time of year for the Ring-billed in this cycle (2nd?)

Cheers
#88123
I would suggest 1st summer Ring-billed gull. I have the Gulls of North America, Europe, and Asia book by Olsen and Larsson and your pic sure looks like what i read - from March to September, head and body whiter (than first winter) with faint dark spotting, often lacking but sometimes strong on crown and ear coverts ( i can see some of that in your pic), in June retained juvenile coverts fade to whitish, mantle, scapulars and sometimes all medium coverts pale grey, eye dark, bill yellowish, legs pinkish but sometimes greyish yellow.
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