Whatbird.com

Hi all,

I visited North Myrtle Beach, SC in August.  I saw these shorebirds on the beach.  Please help me ID them.

1.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

 

Thanks

1. willet

2. I think sanderling

3-4. Are these the same bird? I'm not too familiar with East Coast gulls but the bill, mantle, and legs make me want to say laughing/ring-billed hybrid. Can a pure laughing look like this?

5-8. I think all laughing gulls

9-10. boat-tailed grackles

I'm not familiar with East Coast gulls, either, but #4 looks like a Ring-Billed Gull.

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

The head (particularly the faint white eye-arcs) and bill shape suggest laughing. Plus, if this is a ring-billed, then it would be at least second cycle but the dark eye isn't characteristic of the latter stages. So I'll stick with ring-billed x laughing for now.

Yeah, you're right, Aberrant.  The leg color is wrong, too, for a Ring-Billed Gull.  Like I said, I don't know anything about East Coast gulls (even though I'm originally from Quincy, MA but we moved to CA when I was young and I wasn't bird-watching then!!!)

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

I'm interested in what others think about this one because, regarding hybrid gulls, I'm definitely more familiar with the western x glaucous-winged that's quite common here on the West Coast.

I'm pretty sure it would easily pass as a second winter Ring-billed Gull in my neighborhood! (New Hampshire)

http://10000birds.com/non-adult-ring-billed-gulls.htm shows a few plumage variations.  Note what appear to be eye arcs in some of the second year birds, as the head is lightening, and also the variability in eye and leg color.  Sibley shows (p. 214) that the first winter is pink-legged and dark-eyed, and the adult is pale-eyed and yellow-legged.  The second year birds and moving in the direction of adult coloration, but not there yet...

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rattlemouse

 rattlemouse

 

Thanks for the photos, they really help. I suppose it is a second winter ring-billed whose eye color is lagging. Plus, those pseudo-eye arcs threw me off. Gull ID is challenging!

1- Willet

2- I think Sanderling too

3 and 4- Ring-billed gulls

5-8- Laughing gulls (5 looks like 1st summer, 6 is an adult molting to NB, 7 is a juvenile, and 8 is a 2nd year bird (all black bill).

9 and 10- Boat-tailed Grackels (not sure if 9 is female or juvenile, male 10)

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Life List: 302

Recent Lifers:

November:
Vesper Sparrow
Black Scotor
Surf Scotor

October:
Hudsonian Godwit