Friday, September 2, 2016

Glaucous-Winged Gull

I've struggled between the identification of the glaucous gull and the glaucous-winged gull. We saw both, but not in great numbers. As noted in the post on the glaucous gull, "glaucous" means bluish-green or gray, the color on its back. Like the glaucous gull, its head and underparts are white, it has a yellow bill with a red spot on the lower mandible, its back is a silvery gray, just a little bit more gray than the glaucous gull, and the wingtips are gray with with spots near the tip. 
A glaucous-winged gull on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A glaucous-winged gull swimming just off of Gull Island.
It is found from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. During non-breeding season, they can be found as far south as the coast of California. 
A juvenile glaucous-winged gull.

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