VEGA GULL IN FLORIDA?

NO WAY!!

WAY

Its the middle of January 2009 and Michael Brothers sends me an e-mail that he has a weird gull, which he thinks may be a Vega Gull in Daytona Shores, Florida. I think, no way. He sends me the photos and it sure is an interesting bird, but it seems too dark on the upperparts. Even so, it has very striking and difficult to account for features, including a bit of the "string of pearls" pattern of pale tongues on outer primaries, dark eye, crimson red orbital ring. This does not really seem to match any black-backed x Herring hybrid. Weird.

The bird stuck around for much of January, and was eventually observed by Michael several times, myself (Alvaro Jaramillo), and Bob Wallace among others. The implications of a good Vega Gull being in Florida are huge, not only for eastern birders, but possibly for Europeans as well. Another one they need to have on their radar!

Possible Vega Gull adult with Laughing, Ring-billed and American Herring Gull adults. January 16, 2009. Michael Brothers.

The photo above shows the darker upperparts as compared to Ring-billed and Herring, but similar tone to Laughing Gull. It was in these photos that I thought the bird was too dark, but this was an effect of low light. The bird is actually pretty much where it should be for a Vega, as hopefully some of the following photos will show. Also see the little sliver of white on what is likely P7, that is the white tongue that creates a "string of pearls" pattern.

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 20, 2009. Michael Brothers.

Here in different light and enlarged to see that the dark eye is indeed surrounded by a red orbital ring. Dark eyes on adult smithsonianus Herring Gulls are extremely rare, and may be usually due to an injury (in fact a bird a few days later seen here had a dark eye on one side, and a classic smithsonianus pale eye on the other side).

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 20, 2009. Michael Brothers.With smithsonianus.

In the above photo the difference in mantle shade is clear, but there are other differences. The possible Vega has a dark eye, slimmer bill, slimmer shape, and seemingly longer wings. The legs are bright pink, pinker than that of smithsonianus. Note that the tertial crescent is broader on the Vega, could this be a possible good field mark?

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 25, 2009. Alvaro Jaramillo.

After looking at the photos of this bird for some time, and then looking for the bird on the coast where Michael had seen it...I could not believe my eyes when I spotted the sucker about 6 miles inland at the Volusia County Landfill. The bird was so distinctive, that I was sure it was the same bird as in Michael's photos...and indeed it seems to be the case. This was in the company of Bob Wallace, and we enjoyed great looks and photo ops of this bird. In very different light than Michael's original photos, and seeing the thing with my very own eyes I could see that it was really "about as dark as a California Gull" and not too dark as I had feared earlier. Again, this bird is long, and has a droopy look due to the long wings. Very pink legs, dark eye, crimson orbital, and broad dark streaking largely restricted to the nape and lower neck.

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 25, 2009. Alvaro Jaramillo.

Here is the Vega with a Lesser Black-backed Gull in the most similar angle I could find. The mantle tone is quite a bit paler than that of the Lesser Black-backed, and is probably half way between smithsonianus and Lesser Black-backed Gull. See again the very broad tertial crescent on the Vega, quite unlike a Lesser Black-backed. If this bird was indeed a hybrid, it should be more intermediate, perhaps showing dull yellow-pink legs, or yellow legs with pink feet, or other intermediate features. As such the only intermediate feature it shows is mantle darkness. The dark eye, the brighter pink legs, the wing pattern (see below), and the broad tertial crescent cannot be explained by a smithsonianus x Lesser Black-backed hybrid.

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 2, 2009. Michael Brothers.

Now look at this wing pattern, two mirrors; and a slight string of pearls pattern. Furthermore the extent of black on the outer primaries is more than on classic smithsonianus, giving this bird a more straight cut inner edge to the black wingtip. Black to P5, so 6 primaries with black is typical of Vega (see the online article by Gibbins)

Possible Vega Gull adult. January 16, 2009. Michael Brothers.

Another view of the bird in flight. The underside of the flight feathers is relatively dark, but the black primaries are still strongly contrasting with the inner primaries.

With a Herring to show darkness of upperparts difference.

For reference:

Vega Gull ID article - Gibbins

WE ARE LOOKING FOR VALUABLE INPUT THAT HELPS TO CONFIRM OR REFUTE THIS AS A VEGA GULL. CAN YOU LET US KNOW?

Alvaro Jaramillo 2009.

It seems to me that all known features fit perfectly and easily sit within the range of vega. (Chris Gibbins)

In sum, it looks closer to vegae to me than anything else we see in this part of the world, and this is (also)  how I would id it (rightly or wrongly!) if I were to see it here. (Nial Moores - S Korea)