When I first traveled down the main road of Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan this weekend, I couldn’t miss the gulls.
They were everywhere!
In the lagoons, near the boat launch, in the air, and in the Hunters Club Marsh where I often see lotus pods along the shoreline in winter.
I’m not talking about hundreds of gulls, there were thousands of gulls in the water and the air, diving, calling, and swimming.
And when I saw the two large black-backed gulls in the midst of the Ring-billed Gulls, I immediately thought I was looking at Great Black-backed Gulls.
But when I came home, I spent more time poring over my photos of the black-backed gulls.
I’m not good at identifying gulls, especially winter gulls which can have less distinctive features for identification.
From reading my bird guides and visiting All About Birds, I was reminded that the differences between a Great Black-backed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull are few.
The Lesser Black-backed Gull is smaller, somewhat more slender, and often has streaking around the eye and head.
In addition, Lesser Black-backed Gulls are more similar in size to Herring Gulls.
In an adult, the giveaway between a Lesser and Great Black-backed Gull is more obvious: Lessers have yellow legs while Greats have pinkish/gray legs.
Given I didn’t have a Herring Gull nearby for size comparison, I decided to base my identification on the yellow leg color of the gulls.
Which means I’ve changed my identification to Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Now I’m waiting for a gull expert to tell me why I’m wrong.
Wouldn’t be the first time!
