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To the Beauty of Birds

Glaucous is a term referring to a slate or light-grey color. This wing color is the main characteristic of the Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens. Its year around range extends from Alaska to Northern Washington, so when we went to Port Tounsend for the Protection Island Pelagic Tour I was on the lookout for this bird. Sure enough, as we waited at the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry a flock of Glaucous-winged Gulls were clustered around a fish and chips café looking for hand outs. Their bill has a red spot on the tip similar to the Western Gull, to which it is most easily confused. The Kodak Grey Scale of the Glaucous-winged Gull is 5-6 while the score for the Western Gull is 9.5-11. The two species and Herring Gulls often interbreed producing hybrids that add further to the confusion. All three species have pink legs (7658). The Galaucous-winged Gull has a white tail similar to many other gulls. The row of white at the wind tips in shown in 7711.

Glacous-winged Gull