Hi Everyone, Now that I'm home I was able to look at Howell and Dun. While this book was not particularly helpful, there was nothing to disqualify this bird as a Slaty-backed Gull. Only one photo is of an adult breeding bird and the legs are not as bright pink as that photo but they are in the range of the other photos. Also the parallel bill shape and pale gondeal spot match along with the pattern of white in the primaries John Pogacnik suggested HEGU x GBBG, and looking at the pictures, that does not fit. Also this bird is barely the size of the 2nd and 3rd year Herring Gulls nearby. John Herman suggests HEGU x LBBG and that does not look right either. This bird is just too clean. It would seem to me that a hybrid with a larger bird would be in between the 2 species in size, but my knowledge of gull hybridization borders on ignorance Although I did not have a camera, I was able to study this bird from as close as 30 feet and all I can say is: If you lined up pictures of dark mantled, adult plumage, gulls, I would pick Slaty-backed. I have no prior experience with this species so I cannot make the call with absolute certainty I hope others go out to look at this very interesting bird. Given the uncertain history of this bird in Ohio, it will be interesting to hear what others think. BTW in case you don't realize, this bird is being found at the end of the Conneaut sand spit, it is usually on the sand bar about 30 feet from the beach. Haans ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]