[Ontbirds] Mew Gull - Niagara River

[Jean Iron]

Jean just called to say the Mew Gull was at its regular roosting 
rocks at 11:10 a.m. on the river between Adam Beck and the Butterfly 
Conservatory. See photos from 1 January for ID and comparisons with 
the nominate subspecies of Europe. Some authorities consider the two 
subspecies to be separate species.

http://www.jeaniron.ca/2010/mewgull.htm

Ron Pittaway
Minden/Toronto

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Mew Gull - Niagara River

[Colin Jones]

Further to Willie's post on the Mew Gull at Niagara today, we thought we could 
provide some additional information. We found the bird, in definitive basic 
plumage, sitting on the breakwall downstream from the control gate at about 
2:00pm. We were joined by about 20 observers over a period of about an hour as 
the bird stayed there. Eventually we left it at about 3:00pm, with it still in 
the same location. It appears to be of the North American race brachyrhynchus 
due to the dark mantle and unmarked yellow bill. We were able to digiscope the 
bird during the time we observed it. We suggest using the dark mantle color to 
pick out the bird, as its quite dark, almost approaching Lesser Black-backed in 
shade (one of which it sat beside for most of the time). Interestingly there 
were few Ring-billeds on the entire breakwall so its small size was quite 
obvious. 

Good luck!

Colin Jones, Peter Burke 




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