Color Key to North American Birds Part 12

Range.--"North Atlantic coast of North America, breeding in c.u.mberland Gulf; south in winter to the coast of the Middle States." (A.O.U.)

=46. Nelson Gull= (_Larus nelsoni_). "Wing 18.25, culmen 2.35. _Ads._ In plumage exactly like _L. k.u.mlieni_; depth of bill through angle .80; tarsus 3.05; middle toe (without claw) 2.40." (Ridgway.)

Range.--"Coast of Norton Sound, Alaska." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 47.]

=47. Great Black-backed Gull= (_Larus marinus_). L. 29. _Ads., summer._ Back and wings slaty black; wing feathers tipped with white.

_Ads., winter._ Similar, but head and neck streaked with dusky. _Yng._ Back grayish brown margined with buffy white; rump whiter; primaries black; below white more or less marked with dusky. _Notes._ "A braying _ha-ha-ha_, a deep _keow_, _keow_, a short barking note, and a long-drawn groan, very loud and decidedly impressive." (Brewster.)

Range.--North Atlantic and northern Europe; breeds in North America from Nova Scotia to Greenland; winters south to Great Lakes and South Carolina.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 48.]

=48. Slaty-backed Gull= (_Larus schistisagus_). L. 26. _Ads., summer._ General appearance of No. 47; back lighter; primaries as figured.

_Ads., winter._ Head and neck streaked. _Yng._ Above brown margined with buff and white; primaries brown; tail brown with little or no mottling; below brown.

Range.--"North Pacific, chiefly on the Asiatic side; Herald Island, Arctic Ocean, and Alaskan coast of Bering Sea." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 49.]

=49. Western Gull= (_Larus occidentalis_). L. 24. _Ads., summer._ Head, neck, tail, and underparts white; back slaty gray; outer primaries black, a large white spot near tip of first one. _Ads., winter._ Crown and hind neck streaked with brownish. _Yng._ Grayish brown mixed with white; wings and tail fuscous. _Notes._ _Oo??k_, _oo??k_, _oo??k_; _ca-ca-ca_, and other calls.

Range.--Pacific coast; breeds and winters from Lower California to British Columbia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 57.]

=57. Heermann Gull= (_Larus heermanni_). L. 17. _Ads., summer._ Bill red; head and throat white, shading into slate above and below; tail blackish, tipped with white; primaries black. _Ads., winter._ Head and neck streaked with grayish brown. _Yng._ Uniform grayish brown.

Range.--Pacific coast of North America; breeds from Mazatlan, Mexico, north to Lower California; occurs regularly north to Vancouver Island; winters south to Panama.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 51.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 51.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 51. Immature]

=51. Herring Gull= (_Larus argentatus_). L. 24. _Ads., summer._ White s.p.a.ces at end of outer primaries sometimes joined. _Ads., winter._ Similar, but head and neck, streaked with grayish. _Yng._ Above ashy brown, margined and marked with buffy; wings brownish black; tail the same; sometimes margined with buffy; below ashy brown, sometimes lightly barred or streaked with dusky. _Notes._ _Cack-cack-cack_; _hah_, _hah_, _hah_, and other notes.

Range.--Northern hemisphere; breeds in America from Maine, Great Lakes, Minnesota, and British Columbia northward; winters south to Cuba and Lower California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 52.]

=52. Vega Gull= (_Larus vegae_). Similar to No. 51, but back said to be darker; feet yellow.

Range.--"Bering Sea and adjacent waters; south in winter to California and j.a.pan." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 53.]

=53. California Gull= (_Larus californicus_). L. 20. _Ads._ Similar to No. 54 but larger; a red spot near tip of lower mandible; white spot on outer primary, larger and nearer end. _Yng._ Similar to No. 54 but darker; tail nearly uniform fuscous.

Range.--Western North America; breeds chiefly in interior, from Utah to Lat. 68, 30'; winters from British Columbia to Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 58.]

=58. Laughing Gull= (_Larus atricilla_). L. 16. _Ads., summer._ Head dark slate; tail white; bill with reddish. _Ads., winter._ Similar, but head and throat white with grayish on nape and behind eyes. _Yng._ Tail grayish with a broad black band; nape and back ashy brown; forehead and under parts white. _Notes._ A nasal _cow-ow_, also _cuk-cuk-cuk_, and a high, long-drawn laugh.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds from Texas and Florida to Maine and Nova Scotia; rare in interior; winters from South Carolina to northern South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 59.]

=59. Franklin Gull= (_Larus franklini_). L. 15. _Ads., summer._ Breast with a rosy tinge; outer primaries with wide black s.p.a.ces near ends, bordered at base and tip with white. _Ads., winter._ "Head mainly white, with [its] sides and back grayish dusky." _Yng._ "Top and sides of head and back grayish brown; quills dusky, tipped with white; tail with subterminal band of dusky; rest of tail, under parts, forehead, and eyelids white." (Bailey.)

Range.--Interior of North America; breeds from Iowa and Minnesota northward to Great Bear Lake; winters from west Gulf States to South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 60.]

=60. Bonaparte Gull= (_Larus philadelphia_). L. 14. _Ads., summer._ Outer web of outer primaries and tip black; inner web and shaft white; bill black. _Ads., winter._ Similar, but throat and head white, its back grayish. _Yng._ Tail white, tipped with black; outer primary black, inner two-thirds of inner web and s.p.a.ce near tip white; rest of plumage much as in young of No. 58.

Range.--North America; breeds in interior from Hudson Bay and Manitoba west to the Yukon; winters from British Columbia and Maine to Lower California and Gulf of Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 61.]

=61. Ross Gull= (_Rhodostethia rosea_) L. 13.5. Bill small, .7; middle tail feathers longest. _Ads., summer._ White areas tinged with pink; a black collar. _Ads., winter._ No collar; a black spot before eye.

_Yng._ Lesser coverts black, margined with whitish; tail white, central feathers tipped with black; back pearl; ear spot and s.p.a.ce about eye dusky; crown white, washed with pearl.

Range.--"Arctic regions; south in autumn and winter to Kamchatka, Point Barrow, Alaska and Dis...o...b..y, Greenland." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 62.]

=62. Sabine Gull= (_Xema sabinii_). L. 14. Tail slightly forked.

_Ads., summer._ Head and throat slaty black, margined behind with black; bill black, tipped with yellow; outer primaries black, small tip and inner half of inner web white. _Ads., winter._ Similar, but head and throat white; nape region dusky. _Yng._ Tail white, tipped with black; crown and back ashy brown; forehead and underparts white.

_Notes._ "A single harsh grating note." (Nelson.)

Range.--Arctic regions: breeds in America from St. Michaels, Alaska and Melville Bay, Greenland, northward; winters south on Atlantic coast, rarely to New York; casually to Texas, and on Pacific coast to Peru.

Terns

[Ill.u.s.tration: 64.]

=64. Caspian Tern= (_Sterna caspia_). L. 21. T. 6., forked 1.5.

Largest of our Terns. _Ads., breeding._ Bill red; cap black; above pearl; below-white; _primaries frosty black_. After breeding, crown streaked black and white; bill more orange. _Yng._ Similar to last but wings and tail with blackish. _Notes._ A loud, harsh "_kay-awk_" or "_key-rak_."

Range.--Cosmopolitan; breeds in North America, locally from Texas to Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake; winters mostly south of United States; three California winter records.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 65.]