Probable Slaty-backed Gull on January 1st pelagic

Well, I’ve done it now.

I’ve convinced myself that a 2^nd cycle gull I photographed offshore on the pelagic trip from San Diego is a Slaty-backed Gull. Or, perhaps it is a Slaty-backed x Herring, but how would one tell?

Perhaps others have photos of it too. I was trying to show a 1^st cycle Herring Gull to other passengers, but this odd bird kept getting in my way….

9 photos and descriptions are added to the eBird trip list as “Larus (sp.)” which is true even if I botched the more specific ID.

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51278848

Greg Gillson