Guide to Winter Gulls on Martha's Vineyard
Great black-backed gull: black back and wings, large white spots at wingtips, unstreaked white head, large yellow bill with reddish spot, pink legs, huge. Common.
Great black-backed gull: black back and wings, large white spots at wingtips, unstreaked white head, large yellow bill with reddish spot, pink legs, huge. Common.
Glaucous gull: very light gray back and wings, all-white primary tips, limited brownish streaking on head, yellow bill with red spot, heavy and steady flight. Uncommon.
Glaucous gull: very light gray back and wings, all-white primary tips, limited brownish streaking on head, yellow bill with red spot, heavy and steady flight. Uncommon.
Herring gull: pale gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, yellow bill with reddish spot, pink legs, brownish streaking on head and neck. Most common.
Herring gull: pale gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, yellow bill with reddish spot, pink legs, brownish streaking on head and neck. Most common.
Lesser black-backed gull: back and wings slate gray to almost black, black wingtips with limited white spots, yellow bill with reddish spot, yellow legs, extensive brownish streaking on head and neck, slender overall. Occasional.
Lesser black-backed gull: back and wings slate gray to almost black, black wingtips with limited white spots, yellow bill with reddish spot, yellow legs, extensive brownish streaking on head and neck, slender overall. Occasional.
Iceland/Kumlien’s gull: very light gray back and wings, some brownish streaking on head, no black on wingtips, wingtip markings variable from gray to white, round head, relatively dainty yellowish bill with red spot, pink legs. Uncommon.
Iceland/Kumlien’s gull: very light gray back and wings, some brownish streaking on head, no black on wingtips, wingtip markings variable from gray to white, round head, relatively dainty yellowish bill with red spot, pink legs. Uncommon.
Ring-billed gull: pale gray back and wings and black wingtips with white spots (like a small herring gull), black band on yellow bill, yellowish legs, brownish streaking on head and neck. Common.
Ring-billed gull: pale gray back and wings and black wingtips with white spots (like a small herring gull), black band on yellow bill, yellowish legs, brownish streaking on head and neck. Common.
Black-legged kittiwake: medium gray back and wings, small all-black wingtips, smallish all-yellow bill with no markings, smudgy gray collar at nape, dark eye, black legs. Nearly always at sea.
Black-legged kittiwake: medium gray back and wings, small all-black wingtips, smallish all-yellow bill with no markings, smudgy gray collar at nape, dark eye, black legs. Nearly always at sea.
Laughing gull: dark gray back and wings, black wingtips with minimal white markings, smudgy wash at nape, relatively long, narrow wings, dark bill, dark legs, agile. Uncommon in winter.
Laughing gull: dark gray back and wings, black wingtips with minimal white markings, smudgy wash at nape, relatively long, narrow wings, dark bill, dark legs, agile. Uncommon in winter.
Black-headed gull: pale gray back and wings, white outer primaries with black tips, dark primaries from below, dark spot behind eye, red bill, red legs, a bit larger than Bonaparte’s. Uncommon.
Black-headed gull: pale gray back and wings, white outer primaries with black tips, dark primaries from below, dark spot behind eye, red bill, red legs, a bit larger than Bonaparte’s. Uncommon.
Bonaparte’s gull: pale gray back and wings, white outer primaries with black tips, wingtips mostly white from below, dark spot behind eye, small black bill, pinkish legs, active flight. Common.
Bonaparte’s gull: pale gray back and wings, white outer primaries with black tips, wingtips mostly white from below, dark spot behind eye, small black bill, pinkish legs, active flight. Common.
Little gull: pale gray back and wings, rounded white wingtips, extensive dark under wing, dark spot behind eye and dark smudge at crown, very small black bill, red legs, quite small overall. Uncommon.
Little gull: pale gray back and wings, rounded white wingtips, extensive dark under wing, dark spot behind eye and dark smudge at crown, very small black bill, red legs, quite small overall. Uncommon.
When the birding world is quiet in the winter, the gull family, or the larids, is a good place to look for identification challenges. Learning to identify all the gulls takes diligence and persistence.
Here is a condensed guide to winter gulls on Martha's Vineyard. The descriptions are of adult gulls in nonbreeding plumage. Species are listed primarily in order of size, with the largest first.