You needn't tell a gull by its cover.
That's the broad message in the new book "Gulls Simplified, a Comparative Approach to Identification."
Plumage is a major factor in historic and most contemporary ID guidance for this large family of birds. Plumage is highly variable, however. For many species it depends on season, age of the bird, and molt pattern. Co-author Pete Dunne says that plumage-based decisions compound the complexity of the task.
Dunne makes a strong case for ignoring feathers, focusing instead on shape and profile. Birds are not shapechangers. You can make identification less complex (and less argumentative) by comparing physical characteristics, say Dunne and co-author Kevin T. Karlson.
Dunne says that he was the perfect person to write this book because while an experienced birder, he harbors no "deep fascination with gulls."
His ID method "hinges mostly on traits easily notes in the field," which are, he says, size, shape, behavior, structural features, habitat, distribution, range, and direct comparative assessment.
In other words, he works gull identification as he would for any other family of birds. Makes sense to me.
Dunne is a lively writer of long experience, both in the field and at the keyboard. Karlson's photos are perfect. You will see gulls displaying the varied shades of brown, gray, and white that come (and go) with age. Don't be distracted. Pay attention to the authors' instructions.
