Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum, but none of them seem to deal with sea birds. I noted the discussion in May of 2003, seeming to indicate that a black seagull is a myth.
I was raised on the Jersey Shore, where I was familiar with many types of terns, ernes, gulls, pelicans, and ducks. Now I live in Salisbury, MD. This afternoon, while eating dinner at a restaurant on the Wicomico River, I saw a pure black bird land on one of the pilings, hop down onto the deck, and then fly down to the water with the rest of the seagulls. It was web-footed, it was shaped like a seagull, it flew like a seagull, it walked like a seagull, and it floated like a seagull.
If it wasn't a black seagull, what was it?
Thank you.

A couple of possibilities here. There are Jaegers, which can be totally black. These birds are highly pelagic, so to see one would be quite fortunate, but they are seen from land periodically. Secondly, some immature gulls are very dark and may appear nearly black. There are also some terns (is, Black Tern or Sooty Tern), which are mostly black and may look quite gull-like. The last possibility I can think of is Black Guillemot, which is all black except for a white wing patch. I am not sure what birds are likely to be seen where you are located, but these all seem possible to me. If you can get ahold of a field guide and have a look, you may recognize one of these. Hope that helps!

Kyle