Herring Gull in St. Louis County
2013-12-08

Common in St. Louis County in the Winter season

Today I was with Peder Svingen and Karl Bardon when I noticed a dark mantle gull among a few Herring Gulls. After photographing and looking at the bird quite close we are strongly leaning that this is a adult Vega Gull (Larus vegae) which is a sub species of the Herring Gull. ( Larus smithsonianus) Vega Gulls breed in Siberia and winters in Japan and along the pacific coast of Asia. This Vega Gull might represent a first state record for Minnesota. The Vega Gull would become a different species from the American Herring Gull upon the split of smithsonianus, which is warranted based on at least two independent genetic studies. So this is quite exciting to see a gull that might some day soon be split from the American Herring Gull. Some of the field marks noted: Darker mantle shade vs Herring Gulls nearby, High profile structure ( long neck with large flat head ) and slightly larger gull vs Herring Gull nearby, pale yellow iris with specks of brown, red-orange orbital eye ring, heavy streaking on nape that gives it a collar appearance, bubble gum or pinkish legs, flat headed appearance which is different from the blocky head appearance of Herring Gulls, broad white trailing edge which the white was highly contrasted with dark gray mantle which differs from the fine white trailing edge in Herring Gulls and black on primaries from P10 to P5.

Mike L. Hendrickson