33RD REPORT OF THE CBRC: 2007 RECORDS 
of committee members to conclude that more solid documentation was necessary to 
establish the identification of this species in California. 
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER Calidris fuscicollis (23, 3). One spring record, of 
two at the Naval Air Weapons Station, China L., KER, 23 May 2007 (GMcC; JLD, 
KHL, MSanM, RSt; 2007-122; Figure 8; photo also in N. Am. Birds 61:510). One 
fall record, of an adult at the Salinas Wastewater Treatment Plant, MTY, 1-9 Sep 
2007 (BLSf; BHif, JePf, DRf; 2007-174; photo in N. Am. Birds 62:145). All 
White-rumped Sandpipers identified in California in fall have been adults. 
CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea (38, 2). An adult was at the Vic Fazio 
W. A. near Davis, YOL, 29-31 Jul 2007 (ToEf; KK; 2007-155), and a juvenile was 
near Fort Dick, DN, 13 Sep 2007 (LBf; 2007-200). 
BLACK-HEADED GULL Chroicocephalus ridibundus (25, 2). A first-winter bird 
near the Whitewater R. mouth at the north end of the Salton Sea, RIV, 15 Jan-9 Feb 
2007 was a county first and the first for California’s interior away from the Central 
Valley (DGo, CMcG; PAG, CAM, GMcC, TMcGf, JMf, MSanM; 2007-016; photo 
in N. Am. Birds 61:328). Another first-winter bird was in Goleta, SBA 20 Apr 2007 
(WFt; DMC, OJt, NL; 2007-106; photo in N. Am. Birds 61:511). 
LITTLE GULL Hydrocoloeus minutus (99, 4). Of the four recorded during 2007 
three were first- winter birds, at the west end of Young Road at the south end of the 
Salton Sea, IMP, 9-19 Jan 2007 (GMcC; AHat, KZKf, CAM; 2007-012; photo 
in N. Am. Birds 61:327), near the Whitewater R. mouth at the north end of the 
Salton Sea, RIV, 20 Jan-9 Feb 2007 (GMcC; NMot; 2007-026), and at Salton City, 
IMP, 5 Feb 2007 (MJB, WTHf; 2007-050). Differences in the amount of black in 
the outer primaries and duskiness on the crown suggested that these were different 
individuals. An adult was along Ballona Cr. near Marina Del Rey, LA, 3 Mar 2007 
(KGL; 2007-074). 
ICELAND GULL Larus glaucoides (6, 2). A first-winter bird at South Humboldt 
Bay, HUM, 1 Jan 2007 (ToEf; SCf, JEH, JTz; 2007-063) was accepted unanimously 
after two rounds. It was at the pale end of the species’ spectrum of variation and at 
a northerly location where bleaching is unlikely so early in the winter. An adult at 
Morgan Hill, SCL, 10 Feb 2007 (SCRf; 2007-165) was not conclusively identified 
until months after the sighting when photos were developed that showed on the up- 
per surface of the outer primaries a pattern beyond the range of the palest Thayer’s 
Gull (L. thayeri) and well within the range of a typical L . g. kumlieni (Zimmer 1991, 
Howell et al. 2003). This record is only the second of an adult Iceland Gull accepted 
for California and the first of any age class of a bird showing characters consistent 
solely with kumlieni. The difficulties involved in identifying out-of-range Iceland Gulls 
have been recently reviewed by Iliff et al. (2007) and Heindel et al. (2008). Despite 
the acceptance of four records since 2005, reports of the Iceland Gull continue to 
bedevil committee members, who, in general, take a conservative approach to this 
species, a situation likely to continue until identification criteria are better understood 
and taxonomic issues become clearer. 
IDENTIFICATION NOT ESTABLISHED: Seven records, all but one involving first- 
winter birds, failed to gain acceptance because of identification issues. A recurring 
pattern among these records is that the birds’ plumage matches known criteria for 
the Iceland Gull but their structure does not; for example, the bill is large, the head 
blocky, or the wings short. One at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery along the American R., 
SAC, on 22 Nov 2004 (2004-206) went three rounds until concerns over structure 
and a secondary bar noticeable in some photos but not in the field convinced all 
members to reject. A majority of members thought a well-documented bird from Half 
Moon Bay, SM, 23 Jan 2006 (2006-082) was too bulky and large billed and thus 
probably a hybrid. Additional records documented with photographs showing birds 
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