Glaucous-winged Gull (2nd winter)
Larus glaucescens

f9 @ 1/2000s, ISO:1000, Nikon D300S w 300mm

\"Glaucous-winged Gull,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The glaucous-winged gull is rarely found far from saltwater. It is a large bird, being close in size to the herring gull, with which it has a superficial resemblance, and the western gull, to which it is likely most closely related. It measures 50–68 cm (20–27 in) in length and 120–150 cm (47–59 in), with a body mass of 730–1,690 g (1.61–3.73 lb). It weighs around 1,010 g (2.23 lb) on average. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 39.2 to 48 cm (15.4 to 18.9 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6.4 cm (1.8 to 2.5 in) and the tarsus is 5.8 to 7.8 cm (2.3 to 3.1 in). It has a white head, neck, breast, and belly, a white tail, and pearly-gray wings and back. The term glaucous describes its colouration. The ends of its wings are white-tipped. Its legs are pink and the beak is yellow with a red subterminal spot. The forehead is somewhat flat. During the winter, the head and nape appears dusky, and the subterminal spot becomes dark. Young birds are brown or gray with black beaks, and take four years to reach full plumage.

Hokkaido, Japan

02/21/2012