What color is the bill of a juvenile Xeme before reaching adult plumage?
Answer
All black
Juvenile Sabine's Gulls exhibit an entirely black bill, which is a key feature used to distinguish them from breeding adults. Adults possess a slender, relatively short bill measuring about one inch long that is characteristically black but features a distinct yellow tip. This difference in bill coloration—the presence or absence of the yellow tip—is a reliable marker separating the first-year birds from sexually mature individuals.
Related Questions
What color is the bill of a juvenile Xeme before reaching adult plumage?What distinguishing feature of the Xeme tail is rare among gull species?What color is the head plumage of an adult Sabine’s Gull in breeding season?What is the typical wingspan measurement for adult Sabine’s Gulls?What specific marking is present on the tail of juvenile Xema sabini?When do adult Xeme undergo a complete molt before migration?What color combination defines the bill of a breeding adult Xeme?How many years does it take for Sabine’s Gulls to fully attain adult plumage?How does the head appearance of the adult Xeme change in winter plumage?What pattern on the wings creates a noticeable dark triangle at the wingtip in flight?