Hi Matt, For gulls, I'd recommend 1. Gulls of North America, Europe and Asia by Olsen & Larsson (out of print) -- http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7362.html 2. Gulls of the Americas by Howell & Dunn -- http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/bookdetails?isbn=9780618726417 I'd also suggest these videos: 3. The Large Gulls of North America -- http://jvanderpoel.qwestoffice.net/largeGulls.html 4. The Small Gulls of North America -- http://jvanderpoel.qwestoffice.net/smallGulls.html Whatever resources you pick up, *nothing beats spending time studying each and every feather on the local gulls*. Really get to know how to age and identify the common species like Ring-billed, Bonaparte's and Herring Gulls. What's the tail pattern on a second winter Herring Gull? What distinguishes 2nd and 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gulls? Develop an eye for detail trying to answer those kinds of questions, and you'll be well on your way to picking out the rarities that turn up along the south shore of Lake Erie. Good birding, Paul Hurtado Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ 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]