***Federal - MBTA***

    Identifying gulls is one of the more challenging aspects of watching wildlife in New York.  There are numerous species, nearly 30 have been recorded in the state, and each shows several distinct plumages as the young birds mature.  Couple this with the fact that most gulls are a variation on a few characteristics and their identification gets much more complicated.  The above picture shows four different types of gull.  (Three species.)  The very top is an adult Greater Black-backed Gull.  The three just below that are juvenile Greater Black-backeds.  The three gray gulls on the left are Herring Gulls, and the pale white gull on the right is a juvenile Glaucous Gull.  That's as easy as it gets.  The distinguishing characters to look for include color of the back (usually black, grey, white), the color of the feet (usually pink, green, or yellow), size and shape (when compared to gulls of known species), and bill color.  Then learn the various combinations for the species you are likely to see.  For example adult Ring-billed Gulls have yellow feet, a gray back with black wing-tips, and a yellow bill with a black ring around the tip.  Then, study individuals of a species to familiarize yourself with the species as a whole (include behavior, flight style, habitat preference, etc.)  Don't forget to include all plumage variations.  Do this for all the common species.  This will give you a base from which to compare so that when you do see an uncommon species identification will be that much easier.  As with everything, practice, practice, practice.