From Opus

L. c. michahellis
Photo by mikemik
Location: Strunjan, Slovenia.

Larus cachinnans

Includes Caspian Gull; Steppe Gull

[edit] Identification

Grey back, black wing tips with few white spots, red spot on the bill as adults, red ring around the eye.

First-year birds have a dark bill and eyes, pinkish grey legs, dark flight feathers and a well-defined black band on the tail. By their second winter, birds are essentially feathered like adults, apart from the patterned feathers remaining on the wing coverts. However, their billtips are black, their eyes still dark, and the legs are a light yellow.

ID discussion on how to distinguish Caspian (L. c. cachinnans) and Yellow-legged Gull (L. c. michahellis and L. c. atlantis), regarded as separate species by some authorities.

L. c. cachinnans
Photo by AJDH
Location: Saudi Arabia.

[edit] Distribution

Eurasia and North Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

Clements¹ splits this taxon into three species (Caspian, Steppe and Yellow-legged Gulls), but other authorities, including Sibley & Monroe³ and Dickinson², lump these as L. cachinnans; Opus follows the latter. See discussions for Caspian and Baraba Gulls and a discussion of taxonomy and identification in this complex.

Subspecies of the Yellow-legged Gull:

• L. c. cachinnans

• Black Sea to Kazakstan; winters to southern Asia and north-eastern Africa
• Split by Clements¹ as the Caspian Gull.

• L. c. barabensis

• Steppes of central Asia; winters mainly in south-western Asia east to India
• Split by Clements¹ as the Steppe Gull; also known as Baraba Gull.

• L. c. michahellis

• Breeds in the Mediterranean

• L. c. atlantis

• Breeds on Atlantic shores adjacent to the Mediterranean.

[edit] Habitat

Fields and coasts.

[edit] Behaviour

They are scavengers and hunt suitable small prey in fields or on the coast, or rob plovers or lapwings of their catches.

They breed in colonies. The nest is a mound of vegetation built on the ground or on cliff ledges. 3 eggs are laid and are incubated for 27-31 days; the young fledge after 35-40 days.

[edit] References

1. Clements JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Dickinson EC (ed.) 2003. The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. ISBN 9780691117010
3. Sibley CG & Monroe BL. 1996. Birds of the World, on diskette, Windows version 2.0. Charles G. Sibley, Santa Rosa, CA, USA.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages