Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) - 08Jan2022

It's not often that I can get a life bird in close proximity although it did happen last year with the Thick-billed Longspur.  This year the magic bird was a gull from Asia that does have a propensity for vagrancy but typically in more northern climes.  This Slaty-backed Gull was found by Chris Hill during a South Carolina Christmas Bird Count at the Horry County landfill (dump).  It did not take very long to spot it although the light was a little harsh for good photography.

The "string of pearls" along the inner wing tip is what makes relatively easy to ID in flight.  Great Black-backed Gulls have a white wedge in the wing tip but it is isolated.

The pink legs on this individual were a shade darker than the nearby Great Black-backed Gulls but that did not stand out on its own.

Certainly the mantle color was lighter than on a GBBG but again it was not super obvious on its own.

When the bird finally settled into a larger group, I waited for it to move over to a GBBG for the comparison shot, CBBG on left and Slaty-Backed on right.

Standing right next to each other the "dirtier" head, smaller size, brighter pink legs and daintier bill were evident.  A slightly different mantle color was also observed.