Larus brachyrhynchus
Status: Rare regular fall migrant statewide. Rare casual spring migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor Lake McConaughy.
Documentation: Photograph: 11 May 1996 Keith Co (Brogie 1997).
Taxonomy: The Common Gull (L. canus) is often considered to comprise four subspecies (Gill and Donsker 2017, Clements et al 2016): canus of Iceland and the British Isles to the White Sea; heinei of western Russia to central Siberia; kamtschatschensis of eastern Siberia; and brachyrhynchus of northern Alaska and western Canada. Olsen and Larsson (2004) treated North American brachyrhynchus as a full species (Mew Gull), retaining within Common Gull the three Eurasian taxa, while Howell and Dunn (2007) considered brachyrhynchus, kamtschatschensis, and canus (including heinei) as three full species. We follow Olsen and Larsson (2004) here, recognizing two species.
Nebraska birds are presumed brachyrhynchus; L. c. canus occurs as a vagrant to northeast North America and L. c. kamtschatschensis is a rare vagrant to western Alaska (Pyle 2008; Howell and Dunn 2007).
Spring: This species is almost annual in occurrence in spring. There are 18 accepted records, although the three sightings in Feb-Mar 2013 from the Alma, Harlan Co. area may have been of the same individual.
15 Feb 2013 adult Harlan Co Reservoir, Harlan Co (Brogie 2014)
15 Feb 2015 adult Alma SL, Harlan Co (Brogie 2016)
17 Feb 1996 second basic Keith Co (Brogie 1997)
21 Feb 1999 adult Johnson Lake, Dawson and Gosper Cos (Silcock and Jorgensen 1999)
22 Feb and 21 Mar 1998 third basic adult Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Brogie 1999)
1 Mar 2000 adult Lake Ogallala, Keith Co (Silcock 2000)
9-25 Mar 2001 1-2 adults Lake McConaughy (Silcock 2001b)
11 Mar 2018 Branched Oak Lake, Lancaster Co (Noah Arthur photo; Michael Willison photo)
13 Mar 2007 adult Lincoln, Lancaster Co (Silcock 2007)
20 Mar 2013 Alma SL (Brogie 2014)
21 Mar 1998 basic adult Lake McConaughy (Brogie 1999)
26 Mar 2013 Harlan Co Reservoir (Silcock 2013)
12-13 Apr 1997 adult Keith Co (Brogie 1998)
12 Apr 2019 second cycle Branched Oak Lake, Lancaster Co (NA, photo; eBird.org)
18-19 Apr 1998 alternate adult Lake McConaughy (Brogie 1999)
19 Apr 1998 adult Lake McConaughy (Silcock and Jorgensen 1998)
21 Apr 2018 Lake Ogallala (Noah Arthur photo)
11 May 1996 adult Keith Co (Brogie 1997)
Fall: Nov 26, 27, 29 <<<>>> Dec 29, 30, Jan 1
There are 23 accepted records. Earlier dates are 6-9 Nov 2002 adult Gavin’s Point Dam, Cedar Co (Brogie 2003, 2004), and 11 Nov 2011 basic adult Harlan Co Reservoir (Brogie 2012). A later date is 28 Dec-6 Jan 2012-2013 of up to three adults at Lake McConaughy (Brogie 2014).
Winter: There are four reports in the period 7 Jan-15 Feb of apparently-wintering birds.
14 Jan 2001 adult Lake Ogallala (Silcock 2001a)
15 Jan 2018 alternate adult Lake McConaughy (Arthur 2018)
19 Jan 2019 adult Lake McConaughy (Arthur 2019)
6-7 Feb 1998 two apparently different basic adults and a first basic immature Lake McConaughy (Brogie 1999).
Abbreviations
SL: Sewage Lagoons
Literature Cited
Arthur, N. 2018. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S41942586.
Arthur, N. 2019. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51843559.
Brogie, M.A. 1997. 1996 (Eighth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 65: 115-126.
Brogie, M.A. 1998. 1997 (Ninth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 66: 147-159.
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Brogie, M.A. 2003. 2002 (14th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 71: 136-142.
Brogie, M.A. 2004. 2003 (15th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 72: 59-65.
Brogie, M.A. 2012. 2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 80: 112-122.
Brogie, M.A. 2014. 2013 (25th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 82: 131-146.
Brogie, M.A. 2016. 2015 (27th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 84: 138-150.
Howell, S.N.G., and J. Dunn. 2007. Gulls of the Americas. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, New York, USA.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2001. 1999 (Eleventh) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 69: 85-91.
Olsen, K.M., and H. Larsson. 2004. Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Pyle, P. 2008. Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part II, Anatidae to Alcidae. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, California, USA.
Silcock, W.R. 2000. Spring Field Report, March to May 2000. NBR 64: 55-81.
Silcock, W.R. 2001a. Winter Field Report, December 2000- February 2001. NBR 69: 2-18.
Silcock, W.R. 2001b. Spring Field Report, March to May 2001. NBR 69: 46-79.
Silcock, W.R. 2002. Winter Field report, December 2001- February 2002. NBR 70: 2-21.
Silcock, W.R. 2007. Spring Field Report, March-May 2007. NBR 75: 34-52.
Silcock, W.R. 2008. Fall Field Report, August-November 2008. NBR 76: 134-154.
Silcock, W.R. 2009. Winter Field Report, December 2008 to February 2009. NBR 77: 18-34.
Silcock, W.R. 2011. Winter Field Report, December 2010 to February 2011. NBR 79: 7-19.
Silcock, W.R. 2013. Spring Field Report, Mar 2013 to May 2013. NBR 81: 50-79.
Silcock, W.R. 2014. Winter Field Report, December 2013 to February 2014. NBR 82: 2-15.
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 1998. Spring Field Report, March to May 1998. NBR 66: 30-55.
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 1999. Winter Field Report, Dec 1998 to Feb 1999. NBR 67: 2-16.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2020. Mew Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus), Version 1.0. In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
