Kumlien's Iceland Gull
Seen on January 14, 2007 at the South Shore Marina, Pueblo Reservoir - Pueblo CO.
This bird was first found by Brandon Percival and others a few days prior to the 14th.
Note the lack of contrast between the primaries and tertials relative to the rest of the
upper parts. Also note the pink base of the smallish bill and the head shape. Other
photos were taken by Brandon Percival and Bill Maynard, who also observed the bird that day.
Some of Brandons Photos can be seen here, taken January 23, 2007.
Note:
This second photo was slightly adjusted (only for brightness and contrast) as it was very
dark and my only spread wing shot. Every attempt was made to match the coloration in the
first (unaltered) photo. Note the Ring-billed Gull in the background and the snow in the
forground if you need a color/brightness reference.
![](iceland1.jpg)
![](iceland2.jpg)
![](iceland3.jpg)
Lastly, here's a comparison with a 1st winter Herring Gull. These are two clips taken from
the same photo with both birds under the same light conditions. Note the dark, contrasting
tertials and primaries in the Herring Gull (left). The tertials and primaries show almost no
contrast with the head/neck of the (somewhat visible) Iceland Gull (right).
![](herring_iceland.jpg)
All Photos (C) 2007 Paul Hurtado
(Just let me know if you use them!)