Ring-billed Gull

This is a sleek, pearl-gray flight feather from an adult Ring-billed Gull. The bird itself is a medium-sized gull with a distinctive black ring around its yellow bill, yellow legs, and a white head and underbelly. They are highly social and adaptable birds.

Uniform pale pearl-gray on the upper surface (typical adult mantle color); the underside is a silvery-white. The rachis is white to cream-colored. No terminal banding is visible, suggesting an inner wing position.

Tightly interlocked (pennaceous) throughout most of the vane for aerodynamic integrity; plumulaceous (downy) at the very base (calamus area) for insulation.

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy. Gulls have high feather density and preen oil that gives the surface a clean, water-repellent (oily) feel.

Uniform pale gray coloration, white rachis, and the specific asymmetry of a larid primary. Lack of black pigment distinguishes it from the outermost primaries (P5-P10).

Found near lakes, rivers, coastlines, and increasingly in human-altered landscapes like parking lots, landfills, and farm fields.

Common across North America; breeds in northern US and Canada (including the Great Lakes region/Wisconsin) and winters south to the Gulf Coast and Mexico.

Generalist predator and scavenger. They help clean up beaches and fields but can also impact smaller waterbird colonies through egg predation. They serve as an indicator for Great Lakes water quality.

Herring Gull (larger, darker gray), California Gull (slightly darker mantle), and Mew Gull (smaller). The pearl-gray shade is very specific to the Larus genus.

The Ring-billed Gull is often called a 'parking lot gull' due to its comfort around humans. They are highly opportunistic and have been known to play with objects by dropping them and catching them in mid-air.

Excellent condition. The vane is intact without significant fraying or fault bars, suggesting it was freshly molted from a healthy adult bird.

Wisconsin USA