This first-winter bird has variably grey-brown upperparts with pale mantle and pale band on greater coverts and bases of inner primaries; head and neck heavily spotted; tail has dark terminal band; legs pink.

I can't tell one gull from another. It's a fair way from the coast in Kansas though - not that that stops them!

I am likely wrong, but it looks like a juvenile Lesser black backed gull.

If Dave is correct about the size of the bird, this is a real puzzle. My first thought was that this was obviously a Herring Gull (Larus argentatus/smithsonianus, depending upon your checklist preferences) -- the structure and plumage look good for a slow-molting 2nd year bird. The wings look too short, the greater coverts look too pale, and the bill looks all wrong for a 1st winter California, and the bill is too big for a Ring-billed or Mew (there's not enough gray on the mantle for either as well, and a Ring-billed would have white undersides with distinct dark scalloping as well). Lesser Black-backed doesn't work either, the wing coverts don't look dark enough, the bill color doesn't work, and the structure isn't right (the wings should be distinctly longer). The gray on the mantle is problematic as well -- a 2nd year bird should have more and darker gray, and a first year shouldn't have any.

I would say that either this bird is a runt American Herring Gull or it's only North American in the sense that it was photographed in Kansas.

I would say that either this bird is a runt American Herring Gull or it's only North American in the sense that it was photographed in Kansas.

Perhaps the poor bird is saying "Toto, I don't think we're in Oz any more".

Think intermediate between juvenile and 1st winter...

California Gull? Pink feet, Herring Gull-like beak. Not so unusual at various western locations.

Larus damfino

Sorry, Larus damfino X californica

TwitchEd -- the photo was taken in January -- this would be a very late molt for a California, and the dark belly doesn't fit a juve or a 1st winter. Neither does the white head -- a 1st winter bird should still have dark spotting on the nape and around the eye. It appears the outer rectrix is barred -- which doesn't fit CAGU at that age either.

NMbirder -- how often does this sort of bill show up in CAGU by January? All of the texts I've checked suggest that they should show a pale base by October. It would be nice to know if there's a level of variation that the books are missing.

It was a best guess based on some field marks and overall shape. There is an inland variant. Also, we just had some major storms come up from Baja that swept east and our southwest climate is just way off the mark these past years so who knows how much delay or accleration in gull patterns could be found?. What the heck! This is entertainment for me as I am laid up with a full leg cast after surgery. Cheers.