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immature gull - tenerife (1 Viewer)

hello,

i think cristian is right with 3cy YLG, the default teneriffe species (ssp. atlantis, but the lighter mantled form of canaries, according to some they even may belong to the nominate ssp. showing intermediate caracters between michahellis and the azorean atlantis). it is always helpful to put a date to the photograph. in this case i think it was taken recently since it is in basic plumage, in other words, a 3rd winter type.
have a look at this extensive site about YLGs by nick rositter: http://www.nrossiter.supanet.com/ylg/
 
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As Cristian suggests - looks like a Yellow-legged Gull (also on location). The grey tone is difficult to judge, but a LBBG would look darker. The lack of white tips to the primaries would indicate a 2cy-3cy bird.

JanJ
 
strong striation on head is the only visible clue ;)
as jan said, upperpart tone is hard to asses in pics.
atlantis has different measurements, it is compacter than nominate michahellis (shorter winged and legged). of course this striation would be within the variation of nominate michahellis but uncommon while it is normal in atlantis. however, birds from the canaries are intermediate in upperpart tone and measurements.
 
Mmm, head streakings is not unique to atlantic YLG ...

Upperpart tone is hard to asses in pics. Sure. Yet this is done all the time in this forum. Why choose, in this case, to ignore the most obvious character of this bird ? (its paleness)

I've never been to the Azores but I've been three times to the Canaries. Even if I spent much more time looking for the endemics and seabirds ;) I did look at the gulls. I found that they were rather like michahellis (build, jizz ..) in a LBBG dress. I don't see that on this bird. But I'm probably wong.

Of course probability (range here) must always be considered but someone seriously suggesting an atlantic YLG from this picture (if taken away from the Canaries or Azores) would be seen to have highly "specific" skills, imho.
 
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Th_SQ has a relevant point here - and one I was also thinking of, namely - the paleness!
Had I seen this gull in my home patch, looking the same in upperparts tone - I would have considered Herring Gull. But it isn´t my home patch, and there aren´t most probably any Herrings on Tenerife, so we are stuck with michahellis or graellsii.
So from this pic. alone I excluded graellsii due to it´s pale upperparts and blint-tipped bheavy bill and settled with michahellis - not atlantis for obvious reasons.

Jan
 
Good point again Th_SQ,
a smithsonianus is likely to occur in the area.
Then we would picture our self a 3cy- 4cy smithsonianus with no white primary tips, a fine streaked head, nape and neck, an all dark bill. Usually a basic smithsonianus at this time of year are more boldly streaked with thicker streaks and blotches at the mentioned parts and also on upper mantle (although exception occurs of course)
I don´t trust the upperpart tone.

JanJ
 
bill shape and colour much varying, cristian, but it would be much more exceptional in a smithsonianus to show a black bill in 4cy than it is for a michahellis in 3cy autumn. usually a smith has a slimmer bill and it would be bicoloured, mostly pale with a dark tip.

personally i have not felt the YLGs i saw on teneriffa and gomera being darker than our michahellises but it's long ago and i may recall it wrongly. of course with no real comparison except for the darker graellsii.
this is an example of a strongly streaked atlantis from teneriffa:
http://www.waltherleers.net/Images/200712191.jpg
with typically large looking head - as i see it in the subject gull also. which is in full sunlight, so upperpart tone in the pic prob. is indeed not trustworthy. i excluded nominate michahellis merely on location...
 
"but it would be much more exceptional in a smithsonianus to show a black bill in 4cy than it is for a michahellis in 3cy autumn" - this was also my idea Lou (I was thinking at the shape AND at the color of the bill). Obviously a Herring with such a dorsal plumage would be more likely a 4cy (and I didn't succed to find a pic with a 4cy American Herring with such a dark and strong bill). I would also agree that the shape of the head is rather good for a YL. But I have to say that I saw American Herring Gulls ONLY in pics...
 
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