7 replies to this topic

[Pat B.]

What's your favorite guide to IDing Gulls? I don't really care if it's field-guide sized or not. What do you like & why?

[Grandpa577]

Read the 1st critique here. It will, at least, hopefully, frame the discussion.

And there is this critique note the quote by Steve Howell for this already out of print 2004 book. Noteworthy because he and John Dunn wrote a guide on gulls of NA for Peterson in 2007.

[Pat B.]

Thanks so much! I had read the reviews last night on Amazon, but was disappointed because there was only the one, and a short one, for Olsen/Larsson.

I've decided to bite the bullet and stop just submitting my eBird gulls as "gull sp.," and actually try to ID them. We don't have too many species here (although the California Gull is Utah's state bird); Calif. in summer, Ring-billed in winter, some Herrings, and this winter a few scattered LBBs, Thayers, and maybe some Mews.

[Grandpa577]

'Howell and Dunn' is the best book out there for NA Gulls." (It is the only book out there devoted to NA Gulls" )

"The Sibley Guide to Birds" is good, covers eastern and western birds, and is very useful for not only gulls. (Sibley's Birding Basics was also good)

Online,

Cornell's sight can be useful
There a lot of great photos at pbase.com
Googling works Try "Ring-billed Gull vs Mew Gull" and you get a lot of good information
or any relevant term e.g., "Gull molt" and get this
and there are countless more

[Pat B.]

Thanks again, Grandpa (weird to call you that because I bet I'm older than you are).

[whiteraven]

Not an actual book but a web site. One of our local uberbirders who leads gull trips has a web site that is really good. http://www.tertial.us/gulls/gulls.htm

[Phoenix Bird]

I got tipped off to Steve Hampton gull web site
I think its great....
I started here then went back to main web page
http://www.tertial.us/gulls/aging.htmI

Edit: Hey I just noticed that I sent you the same link that whiteraven did!

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I find Howell and Dunn quite useful, but it's pretty large.