Ageing Gulls

Juvenile / First Winter. Strong black "M" pattern with dark hindcollar. Dark bill and legs. First spring obtains yellow on the bill and a more patchy plumage overall. 

Second Winter. Note adult-like plumage, but weaker wingtip pattern (less white between black tip and gray wings). Black extends up P10, with black flecks in some coverts. 

Adult. Both winter and breeding plumages shown. No signs of immaturity, stronger wing pattern. Breeding adults with brightest bill. Winter adult with dusky nape markings. 

Juvenile. Brilliant white with black markings which follow a similar pattern between individuals but vary in intensity. 

Adult. Whiter than snow. Beware pure white leucistic gulls of other species. Very lightly marked juvenile may look pure white at a distance. Breeding adult gets brighter bill and eyering. 

Juvenile. Note extensive brown. At great distance, brown may not be discernable and head may appear dark like adult breeding. 

First Winter. Very rare locally. Brown plumage gradually replaced with gray feathers. 

Adult. Gray back. Breeding adult with full black head. Very rare to see adult-like non-breeding plumage locally. 

Juvenile. Black "M" pattern less obvious below brown-washed juvenile feathers. 

First Winter. Brown feathers molted and also perhaps wears off any retained feathers. "M" becomes more obvious. First spring gets variable black head markings. 

Adult. Crisp with distinct wing pattern. Breeding adult obtains black head with white eye arcs. 

First Winter/Spring. Orange-pink to red bill and/or legs. "M" pattern not quite as prominent due to dark secondaries. Rarer locally than adult. Obtains variable dark brown hood in spring. 

Adult. Crisp plumage overall with red bill and legs. Breeding adult obtains brown-black hood with white eye arcs. 

Juvenile. Distinct, very dark juvenile plumage rare but regular in our area. Birds tend to begin molt into first winter plumage soon after arriving locally. 

First Winter/Spring. Many dark mantle feathers replaced, revealing very strong M pattern. Spring birds can obtain variably dark head. 

Second Winter/Spring. Distinct vs. adult due to paler gray (or patchy) underwing. Some have dark markings on upperside of outer primaries visible in flight or perched. Most obtain full black head in spring.

Adult. Crisp markings. Dark underwing distinctive. No black markings on upperside of primaries. Breeding plumaged adult with extensive black hood with no white markings around eye. 

First Winter/Spring. Bold black "M". Plumage recalls Little Gull but longer, pointed structure w/ black tips to inner primaries. Black extends down inner primary tips. All ages has variable pink wash. 

Adult. Clean markings. Silvery-gray underwing - more smooth than second winter Little Gull. May retain faint neck collar. 

Juvenile. Brownish overall. Uniform mantle feathers, crisp and pale edged. 

First Winter / Spring. Mantle and perhaps some coverts molted in gray. Stays pretty ratty into their first spring. 

Second Winter / Spring. Similar to adult but with signs of immaturity in wing coverts (dark markings) and primaries (reduced white). Obtains dark head in spring (breeding plumage) but bare parts usually less red than full adult. 

Adult. More sharply defined plumage, lacking messy dark wing markings. More white on primaries. Legs and bill become brighter red in spring. Black hood in spring complete with sharply defined eye arcs. 

Juvenile. Rare locally. Brownish overall with fresh mantle and covert feathers. 

First Winter. Similar to other two-year gulls, new adult-like gray feathers come in on the mantle and many brownish washed feathers becoming white. 

First Spring. Due to the complete winter molt, our year-old Franklin's Gulls arrive with a remarkably fresh plumage compared to other similar species - looking similar to winter plumaged adults. 

Adult. Fresh overall. Strong black, white & gray contrast in the wings. Full hood, eye arcs and bright bills in breeding plumage. 

Second Winter. A messy intermediate plumage with variable amount of adult-like gray mantle feathers and coverts. 

Adult. Cleaner dark mantle, but atypical GISS with lack of primary mirrors. Unique bill pattern. Bill and legs turn brighter yellow in spring- summer. 

Second Winter. Similar to a messy adult with patchy feathers, dusky head well into spring. Orange-ish bill becomes more evident with time. Some plumage abnormalities in common species can even mirror adult-like plumages of Heermann's Gull. 

Adult. Similar to 2nd winter but clean markings overall with white trailing edge to secondaries. Head becomes bright white early in late winter. Bill becomes brighter and red in spring. 

Juvenile / First Winter. Plumages similar to Mew and Ring-billed. 

Second Winter. Large primary mirrors similar to Mew Gull. Variable signs of immaturity on an adult-like bird. 

Adult. Clean markings. Varible features and mantle shade depending on subspecies. 

Juvenile. Far nothern nesters may be the source of local records, as they sometimes arrive late in retained juvenile plumage. 

First Winter. Highly variable. Can be similar to Ring-billed with gray mantle, but some birds fade and give initial in-flight impression of Thayer's Gull. 

Second Winter. Frequently/always with notable primary mirrors. Has signs of immaturity on an otherwise adult-like bird. 

Adult. Crisp markings. Adult averages heavy head streaking down nape and onto breast in winter.  

Juvenile. Highly variable in all aspects. Crisp markings. Local nesting birds usually molting by late August. Northern nesters can arrive in juvenile plumage well into fall. 

First Winter. Variable amounts of adult-like gray mantle feathers on most birds. Bill becomes pink with a black tip. 

Second Winter. Adult-like birds with highly variable signs of immaturity such as dark on tail, primary coverts, small or missing primary mirrors, paler and/or variable bare part colours. 

Adult. Crisp markings. Defined primary mirrors and white primary tips. Legs and bill yellow. Black bill ring clearly defined. 

First Winter. Perhaps unlikely to occur locally. Overall patterend brownish/dark - similar to other large gulls. 

Second Winter. Usually only one year of immaturity with this species. Unclear how vagrancy could alter development and plumage. 

Adult. Crisp markings, clear P10 primary mirror, broad clean white tertial skirt. Little to no head streaking in winter. 

First Winter. Variable gray mantle feathers can molt in. Usually gets pink bill with small black tip during winter. 

Second Winter. Similar to other four-year gulls, with gray mantle feathers, but no adult-like features in the wings. Legs variable from pink to gray to blue. 

Third Winter. Similar to other four-year gulls. An adult-like bird with variable signs of immaturity such as black on tail, wing coverts, etc. 

Adult. Crisp markings. Dark eye. Yellow legs and bill. Darker-mantled californicus subspecies very rare locally. 

Juvenile. Fresh overall. Dark-centred mantle feathers distinctive of juvenile. Frequently with mostly or all black bill. 

First Winter. New mantle feathers lacking dark-centres. Bill starts to turn pink at the base but highly variable. More worn and contrasting look than juvenile. 

Second Winter. Often with some adult-like gray mantle feathers. Often with eye paler than first year. Highly variable. Wingtips lack adult-like features. 

Third Winter. An adult-like bird with variable signs of immaturity such as black on coverts or tail. Eye frequently pale now. 

Adult. Crisp markings. White tail. Clearly defined primary pattern. Usually no remaining signs of immaturity. 

Juvenile / First Winter. May not molt into first winter, or new feathers may not be noticable. Highly variable. 

Second Winter. Usually with some adult-like gray mantle feathers. Eye may start getting pale. Bill may be more yellowish-pink at base. Some show pale primary-mirror like spot. 

Third Winter. More adult-like overall. Primary pattern slightly less defined in "white-winged" gulls. Variable signs of immaturity.  

Adult. All with crisp markings lacking signs of immaturity. Extreme variation among the "subspecies". 

Juvenile. Perhaps the most distinctive juvenile plumage with blackish mantle feathers edged in white. Crisp overall. 

First Winter. Gets more worn and contrasting. Loses many/all dark centered mantle feathers. Variation increases. 

Second Winter. Almost always with some adult-gray mantle feathers. Contrast increases, markings less uniform, tail pattern variable. Primaries without adult-like features. 

Third Winter. Much more adult-gray feathering. Legs usually becoming more yellow. Underside more white. Some potential for "delayed" third year and fourth-year plumages (see below for more). 

Adult. Crisp markings. Clear primary mirror(s). Legs almost always yellow Bill pattern more clearly defined. White tail. 

Second Winter. 

Third Winter. 

Adult. 

Second Winter. Usually at least some gray mantle feathers, bill starts to turn pale. No adult-like primary feathers. Still low contrast but more patchy appearance. 

Third Winter. Bill increasingly paler. More gray in mantle. Primaries starting to show underlying adult-like pattern. 

Adult. Uniform gray above, mostly or entirely lacking immature markings on coverts and tail. Bill mostly yellow. 

Juvenile / First Winter. Uniform pale, often crispy patterned. Pale bill with dark tip. Eye always dark. May retain juvenile plumage all winter and/or first cycle feathers are not noticeable. 

Second Winter. Uniform pale to white; however, usually lacks crisp patterning in first winter. Black bill tip slightly less extensive and clean cut. Often with pale eye. 

Third Winter. Gray mantle feathers now becoming evident. Pink on bill fading, sometimes pinkish-yellow. 

Adult. Now uniform gray above. Adult-like yellow bill with red gonydeal spot. 

Juvenile. Very crisp overall. Dark bill. Mantle feathers have uniform dark centres with variably wide pale fringes. 

First Winter. Mantle feathers replaced with "anchor" patterned first winter feathers. Bill may get paler with some pink visible. 

Second Winter. Usually some dark adult-like feathers visible. More variably patchy appearance / less crisp overall. Rare but regular with small white mirror spot on P10, unlike other large gulls. 

Third Winter. Now closer to adult-like plumage than first winter. Highly variable bill pattern, usually with lots of pink or yellow. Adult-like primary pattern evident with large mirrors and apical spots. 

Adult. Uniform dark above. Adult-like primaries with white tip to P10 and large P9 mirror. Yellow bill with red/black gonydeal spot.