{"id":44405,"date":"2017-01-15T06:01:54","date_gmt":"2017-01-15T13:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=44405"},"modified":"2025-08-05T14:42:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T19:42:44","slug":"runty-second-winter-ring-billed-gull-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/01\/15\/runty-second-winter-ring-billed-gull-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Runty Second Winter Ring-billed Gull Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RuntyRunty Ring-billed Gull on ice – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

On January 3rd I photographed two unusual Ring-billed Gulls at my local pond in Salt Lake County, today I am sharing one of those gulls, the runty, second winter Ring-billed Gull. This photo shows an out of focus, normal sized Ring-billed Gull several feet behind the much smaller and daintier looking runty Ring-billed Gull.<\/p>\n

\"RuntyRunty Ring-billed Gull stretching – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When I first spotted it I had hoped I was seeing a much rarer gull, a Mew Gull, but the bill on the runty gull although smaller than usual is shaped just like a Ring-billed Gulls bill. I did share the images with a North American Gulls Facebook page just to be sure and the consensus was a “runty second winter ring-billed” and I agree.<\/p>\n

\"RuntyRunty Second Winter Ring-billed Gull calling – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The runty Ring-billed Gull was so beautiful though that I wanted to share these images. The gull came in close and I was able to take several close up portraits plus there were even a few of the gull calling.<\/p>\n

\"PortraitPortrait of a runty 2nd Winter Ring-billed Gull – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/5000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In these close up portraits it is much harder, if not impossible, to tell how runty this Ring-billed Gull was because there is nothing to compare it to such as a normal sized Ring-billed Gull but since it was so cooperative I took quite a few portraits of it.<\/p>\n

\"RuntyRunty Second Winter Ring-billed Gull close up – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/4000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I think Ring-billed Gulls photographed against a snowy background are stunning and I am glad there was a heavy layer of snow on the ground when I photographed this interesting gull. I love gulls despite how common they can be.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Ring-billed Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On January 3rd I photographed two unusual Ring-billed Gulls at my local pond in Salt Lake County, today I am sharing one of those gulls, the runty, second winter Ring-billed Gull.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,410,709,26],"tags":[5600,4142,5603,521,4064,4264,4046,4468,5597,5598,5599,5601,8018,373],"class_list":["post-44405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-ring-billed-gulls","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-2nd-winter","tag-close-up","tag-daintier","tag-gulls","tag-ice","tag-larus-delawarensis","tag-portrait","tag-ring-billed-gull","tag-runt","tag-runty","tag-second-winter","tag-small","tag-urban","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ring-billed-gull-small-utah-mia-mcpherson-2184.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-byd","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44442,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/01\/17\/ring-billed-gull-in-earlier-than-normal-definitive-alternate-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":44405,"position":0},"title":"Ring-billed 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Immature Ring-billed Gull","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm always ready for fun, and this goofy, immature Ring-billed Gull provided a bit of fun for me yesterday afternoon at one of my snowy local ponds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Ring-billed Gull looking goofier, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-immature-snow-mia-mcpherson-2479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ring-billed-gull-immature-snow-mia-mcpherson-2479.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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