2CY Herring Gull Comparisons

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:

Notes:

Extensive barring on the upper parts

Barring on greater coverts with vermicualtion on outer greater coverts

Course streaking on chest

White notching on the sides of the tertials albeit not deep notches

Lighter under tail coverts with spaced barring 

White at the tips of the tail feathers

Dark smudge around eye

Dark iris  

Fine streaking on head 

European Herring Gull 2CY as noted:

American Herring Gull 2CY Portage La Prairie MB August 23, 2025: 

Pale individual with messy scapulars and coverts.

Darker greater covers with some white. Not really barred.

Finer streaking/wash on chest

Dark centered tertials with minimal white at the tips/edges.

Darker under tail coverts with dark barring 

White head

Lighter iris 

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:

European Herring Gull 2CY as noted with similar but perhaps more course wash on the belly.

 

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025: 

European Herring Gull 2CY as noted: 

 

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:  

Notes:

Barring on the underwing coverts 

European Herring Gull 2CY as noted:

Notes:

Barring on the underwing coverts 

American Herring Gull 2CY Portage La Prairie MB August 23, 2025:  

Notes:

Lacking barring on the underwing coverts 

Dark and compact under tail coverts

Scarf like neck

New Secondaries present 

Primary tips are thinner and come to a point.  

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:  

Notes:

Secondaries still coming in. 

Tail feathers still coming in.

P10 still coming in. 

Primaries more round than AHGU in flight example below. Thin white edge but not what I would classify as new moon. 

 European Herring Gull 2CY as noted:

 

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:  

Notes: Not typical AHGU tail but not a textbook example of many EHGU tails either. Almost intermediate with the white tips, sporadic white markings on the outer tail feathers, white spotting looks like it will be more noticeable as the tail feathers grow in.  

American Herring Gull 2CY Portage La Prairie MB August 23, 2025:  

Notes:

All dark tail with very fine white spotting on the outer tail feathers. See more examples below. 

Dark and compact barring on upper tail coverts.  

American Herring Gull 2CY tails:

 

European Herring Gull 2CY tails: 

Notes:

Examples noted as argentatus and not argenteus. Upper left example shows how EHGU tails don't always show a distinct dark band.  

2 CY Gull Portage la Prairie MB August 23, 2025:

Notes:

Sub terminal bar and vermiculation on the secondaries that are showing.

Rounded tips (more round than AHGU below) although this is hard to appreciate in flight.  

Sub terminal band on greater coverts 

European Herring Gull 2CY as noted:

 

2 CY American Herring Gull as noted:

Notes:  

Thin compact dark barring on upper tail coverts

Tail tips all dark

Bill nearly bi-color already.  

Scarf on neck

Some barring on coverts with some vermiculation but not as extensive as the Portage la Prairie example.

Other 2 CY American Herring Gulls late July to mid-August at Portage landfill showing that variation is expected and more what I am used to seeing which is why this heavily barred individual stood out:

 

Late July: 

Late July:

Late July:

August:

August: