Philippine Shortwing

Plain grayish-brown thrasher of the southwest U.S. and Mexico. Look for decurved bill and fairly faint round spots on breast and belly. Undertail coverts are slightly warmer buffy. Eye color varies from yellow to orange. Occurs in deserts and open, shrubby areas. Can be shy and skulking, but often perches atop a bush or cactus to sing. More common in suburban areas and parks than other thrashers in range. Most similar to Bendire’s Thrasher. Note Curve-billed has a slightly longer and more curved bill, and breast spots are slightly larger and rounder.

Small by pelican standards, though still a very large bird! Adult is mostly pale gray with a pinkish bill and (in breeding plumage) a gray crest. Immature darker gray. Found in many wetland habitats with open water, including lakes, ponds, and coastal lagoons. Usually in small groups. Often confused with Great White Pelican, but Pink-backed is much smaller. In flight, the outer wing is dark gray rather than black, and it contrasts much less with the pale portions of the wing.

Very large, pale gull. Adults are mostly white with a very pale gray back; note pure white wingtips. Immatures are white or pale tan with light brown markings; also look for the distinctive pink bill with sharply demarcated black tip. Most similar to Iceland Gull but larger, larger-billed, and usually even paler; Iceland typically shows more dark markings on wingtips. Also note shorter wingtips on Glaucous that do not extend far past tip of tail. Breeds in the High Arctic; winters farther south in a variety of habitats, rarely far from a large body of water. Often seen in small numbers mixed with flocks of other large gulls. Hybridizes with Glaucous-winged Gull and Herring Gull in parts of range; hybrids can show any mix of intermediate traits and are sometimes best left unidentified.