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ID Help Please

Discussion

3 replies
Posted by Allen Brooks on February 24, 2016 at 12:22 AM
ID Help Please
These were taken on the Oregon Coast last Saturday.  They are the same bird.  On Friday there was a major storm on the coast that may have driven normally pelagic birds to shore.  If the legs were black, I'd say it was a Black-legged Kittiwake.  A Red-legged Kittiwake would be a rare sighting in Oregon and there are features that don't quite fit.  

Minor tweaks in LR, but otherwise no post-processing done other than cropped.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Posted by Allen Brooks on February 24, 2016 at 12:22 AM
Posted by Jim Zablotny on February 24, 2016 at 8:23 AM
Hi Allen,

Immature red-legged kittiwakes have pink legs. My best guess is that it is a red-legged kittiwake. Congrats on a great find. Looks like its plumage is transitioning to adult coloration.........................Jim
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 25, 2016 at 12:21 AM
It's not a Red-legged Kittiwake. The neck coloration is wrong, the black primaries aren't extensive enough and the bill is the wrong color and too down-curved. Nor a Black-legged.

Maybe a Red-legged x Black-legged hybrid?