Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus), Castle Creek arm of Lake Pleasant, Yavapai County

This Lesser Black-backed Gull was photographed by Ryan O'Donnell on 13 November 2020.

This species is a casual visitor to Arizona, but numbers of records have been increasing in recent years.

Relatively distinctive in first cycle plumage. Relatively high-contrast checkered back (scapulars and wing coverts), all-black bill, concentration of dark around the eyes, and dark inner primaries (no pale window) help eliminate the somewhat similar Herring Gull.

13 November 2020, photo by Ryan O'Donnell