Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Approach to Identification

✍ Scribed by Pete Dunne, Kevin Karlson

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 209
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A simpler and more user-friendly visual approach to gull identification

This unique photographic field guide to North America’s gulls provides a comparative approach to identification that concentrates on the size, structure, and basic plumage features of gulls—gone are the often-confusing array of plumage details found in traditional guides.

Featuring hundreds of color photos throughout, Gulls Simplified illustrates the variations of gull plumages for a variety of ages, giving readers strong visual reference points for each species. Extensive captions accompany the photos, which include comparative photo arrays, digitized photo arrays for each age group, and numerous images of each species—a wealth of visual information at your fingertips. This one-of-a-kind guide includes detailed species accounts and a distribution map for each gull.

An essential field companion for North American birders, Gulls Simplified reduces the confusion commonly associated with gull identification, offering a more user-friendly way of observing these marvelous birds.

• Provides a simpler approach to gull identification
  
• Features a wealth of color photos for easy comparison among species
  
• Includes detailed captions that explain identification criteria and aging, with direct visual reinforcement above the captions
  
• Combines plumage details with a focus on size, body shape, and structural features for easy identification in the field
  
• Highlights important field marks and physical features for each gull
  

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
CONTENTS
Basic Anatomical Terms
Glossary
INTRODUCTION
Overview—By Pete Dunne
Why This Book, Now?
TRADITIONAL GULL ID PROBLEMS
A Basic Approach to Gull ID
Gulls and Gull-like Birds
SPECIES ACCOUNTS
Size and Sex Guidelines for Gulls
SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED GULLS AND HOODED GULLS
Laughing Gull
Franklin’s Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Sabine’s Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Red-legged Kittiwake
Heermann’s Gull
GRAY-BACKED WHITE-HEADED GULLS
Herring Gull
California Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Mew Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
LARGE DARK-BACKED GULLS
Western Gull
Yellow-footed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
DARK HORSE GULLS (Rare or Unlikely Gulls)
Slaty-backed Gull
Kelp Gull
Black-tailed Gull
Ivory Gull
Ross’s Gull
HYBRID GULLS
QUIZ AND REVIEW
ANSWERS TO QUIZ PHOTOS
APPENDIX
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS
INDEX