| Common Name | Thayer's Gull |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Larus glaucoides thayeri |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 12/23/2017 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Spencer Hardy |
| Mailing Address | 133 Tucker Hill Rd Norwich, VT 05055 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 12/23/2017 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.3111362 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.7148581 |
| Place Name | Grow Compost |
| Township | Moretown |
| County | Washington |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 11:10 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 10 |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 250 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 200 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Cold rain after 6-10" snow yesterday |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Minox 8x42 |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | I have seen several Iceland Gulls and thousands of Herring Gulls, this is my first Thayer's. I have been looking closely at HEGU a lot in the past few weeks trying to find the GLGU that has been seen in Burlington |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | An active compost faculty in the woods along the Winooski river. This is a reliable place for large gulls during the winter. 17 HEGU, 6 GBBG, and 1 immature ICGU present during this observation. No RBGU seen. |
| Behaviors Observed | Only seen while perched on the top of the barn roof in a line with several adult Herring Gulls. Watched as it took off, then it was lost in the mix |
| Description of Vocalizations | None definitely coming from this bird |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | This guy struck me as different as soon as it landed, and I watched it on and off for 10 mins before it flew. While perched I could not see the wing tips or legs, though both were seen briefly as it took off. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Slightly smaller than nearby HEGU |
| Head | Head was more rounded than HEGU, reminding me of RBGU, or as I first was hoping Mew Gull. Head generally white, with fewer markings than nearby HEGU. The most apparent streaking was on the sides of the lower neck. The eye stuck out as different than that of the HEGU. It was smaller and appeared all dark, though a few times I thought I saw a slightly less than black tinge. At the distance of this observation, all the other HEGU (~5) nearby had big, bright yellow irises with visible red orbital rings. |
| Feet & Bill | Legs pink, bill yellow but noticeably smaller and more slender than HEGU. The red spot on the bill was present but much less obvious than on the HEGU. |
| Upper Back | Medium gray, similar to HEGU |
| Lower Back & Rump | Not seen |
| Wings | Medium gray with black tips, I didn't notice how extensive the black was, as the wing tips were only visible for a second in flight |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | White |
| Tail | Not seen |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Nominate Iceland (and Kumlien's) Gulls would have pale wing tips and lighter backs. The vast majority of HEGU have pale eyes and the head and bill shape of this bird were what first attracted my attention in direct comparison to HEGU. Would be great if someone else can get photos of the wing tips/underside of the wings. |
| Other Notes & Comments | Adult. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
Vermont Atlas of Life Partners
