Showing the narrow peg-like bill. Notice the brown spotting on the hind-neck and darker vertical smudges behined and above the eye. The legs appear blue-gray. Photographed in the town of Monterey, California, January. Photograph copyright of Angus Wilson©.

. Monterey, California, January. Photograph copyright of Angus Wilson©.

At this angle, the iris appears pale. Monterey, California, January. Photograph copyright of Angus Wilson©.
 

First-basic Plumage

. Monterey, California, January. Photograph copyright of Angus Wilson©.
 

Literature

Carey, G. J. and Kennerly, P.R. (1996) Mew, Gull: the first record for Hong Kong and the identification and systematics of Common Gull forms in East Asia. Hong Kong Bird Report 1995: 134-149.

Dwight, J. (1925) The Gulls (Laridae) of the World; their plumages, moults, variations, relationships and distribution. Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. Vol 52: p63-408.

Grant, P.J. (1986) Gulls: A guide to identification. 2nd edition. Academic Press.

Harris, A., Tucker, L. and Vinicombe, K. (1989) The Macmillan Field Guide to Bird Identification. Macmillan, London.

Howell, S.N.G. and McKee, B. (1998) Variation in second-year Mew Gulls. Birders Journal 7(4): 210-213.

Lauro, A. J. and Spencer, B. J. (1980) A method for separating juvenal and first-winter Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) and Common Gulls (Larus canus). American Birds 34: 111-117.

Tove, M. (1993) Field Separation of Ring-billed, Mew, Common and Kamchatka Gulls. Birding 25: 386-401.