Amar suggested this some years back. But in the end it really does not matter in the usage of the term "Nelson's Gull" as it is not a valid taxon. It does not need to follow any specific rules of taxonomy or naming. So if we have taken Nelson's Gull to mean American Herring x Glaucous, then we should keep using that even if the first Nelson's Gull might have been something else.
-----Original Message-----
From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification <BIRDWG01...> On Behalf Of <greatgrayowl...>
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2026 6:12 PM
To: <BIRDWG01...>
Subject: [BIRDWG01] What, truly, is "Nelson's Gull?"
Hi all:
It suddenly came to me when doing some review work that, with the recent taxonomic changes in what we used to call Herring Gull (sensu largo), the moniker "Nelson's Gull" is possibly not correctly associated with Glaucous Gull x American Herring Gull. Given that the type specimen was collected in June at "St. Michael's" (now St. Michael) on the western shore of Alaska due E of St. Lawrence Island, might this hybrid be referable to Glaucous x Vega? I don't know where the specimen is currently housed (it was originally deposited in the US Nat'l Mus.; 97253; Henshaw 1884), but it might be quite useful for someone to track that thing down. Perhaps that task has already been completed. If so, I'd love to know the result.
Henshaw, H. W. 1884. On a New Gull from Alaska. The Auk 1 (3):250-252. (On a New Gull from Alaska) Tony Tony LeukeringDenver, COeBird blog eBird commentaryPhotos
