Three New Years Day Gulls at Bluffers Park in Toronto

Gull 1. Adult Iceland Gull on Lake Ontario shoreline at Bluffers Park in Toronto on 1 January 2016. This gull reflects the cline from pale nominate glaucoides of Greenland to Thayer's Gull of the Western Canadian Arctic. It's a very pale bird, close to the nominate glaucoides of Greenland. However it has narrow grey streaks in the primaries. Eye colour in next photo.

Gull 1. Eye is pale with speckling, Compare the white wingtips and eye colour of this gull with the next, Gull 2.

Gull 2. Adult Kumlien's Gull at Bluffers Park on 1 January. Primaries are mid grey colour and eye is darkish as shown in next photo.

Gull 2. Eye colour is dark brown, Compare colour of primaries and eye colour with the next, Gull 3.

Gull 3. Adult Kumlien's Gull at Bluffers Park on 1 January 2016. It has a pale eye and primaries are mid grey. Left wing is damaged, but it could fly. Eye colour is pale. See close-up in next photo.

Gull 3. Eye is pale with brown flecking. Eye colour in Kumlien's Gulls is variable and is independent of colour of primaries. 1 January 2016.

Gull 3. Same gull as above. Already the flight feather tips are abraided on left wing. A wing injury is unfortunate. As weather gets colder and ice forms, the drooping wing risks being stuck to ice. Bluffers Park on 1 January 2016.

Gull 3. Same gull as above. Note abraded left wing.