Confirm 2cy Black-headed Gull please - London UK (1 Viewer)

ChrisKten

It's true, I quite like Pigeons

• Jul 30, 2010

• #1

This post is to see if I'm learning, or if I just think that I'm learning.|=)|

• Too little brown in plumage to be a first Summer Bird.
• Any brown left in plumage (not the head) can't be an adult.
• Must be 2cy.

Poor light, so legs could be brighter than they appear.

So, how did I do?

Thanks.

 

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karpman

Well-known member

• Jul 30, 2010

• #2

Careful asking questions like that with 10k post behind your belt!

Tongue firmly planted in cheek of course, Sorry to high jack your thread chris


Karpman

 

ChrisKten

It's true, I quite like Pigeons

• Jul 30, 2010

• #3

karpman said:

Careful asking questions like that with 10k post behind your belt!

Tongue firmly planted in cheek of course, Sorry to high jack your thread chris


Karpman

Click to expand...

LOL, yes, Ryder, I was tempted to mention that my post count means absolutely nothing. I mean, they could have all been posts asking for ID help. I see you've noticed that other thread then.|=)|

 

P

Parker

Uncomfortably Numb.

• Jul 30, 2010

• #4

ChrisKten said:

This post is to see if I'm learning, or if I just think that I'm learning.|=)|

• Too little brown in plumage to be a first Summer Bird.
• Any brown left in plumage (not the head) can't be an adult.
• Must be 2cy.

Poor light, so legs could be brighter than they appear.

So, how did I do?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Your not doing to bad your right that it's a 2cy bird but this is the same as a 1st summer bird. So the bird is just over a year old.

So a bird hatched in 2009 starts as a juvenile then moults to 1st win & up untill the end of the year is a 1cy bird. Then at the begining of 2010 it is a 2cy but still a 1st win. Then it moults to 1st sum in the early spring but is still a 2cy bird & so on.

It can be a little confusing I know but I hope this helps.

Cheers, Neil.

 

halftwo

Wird Batcher

• Jul 30, 2010

• #5

Chris, yes, you're correct.
This bird has moulted its wing coverts - hence the extensive grey - but is still showing dark secondaries (just peeping out) and the primaries show the long white tongue within the dark-surround.
The tail (unseen here) might also show some dark end.
The head is quite typical of 2CY birds - but beware now that adults are moulting out of breeding plumage they, too will be losing their brown hoods.

 

ChrisKten

It's true, I quite like Pigeons

• Jul 30, 2010

• #6

Thank you both for replying, and thanks for the explanations.

I actually hesitated before I typed "first Summer"; I did know that first summer and 2cy was the same thing. But then I thought, what would I call a bird that hatched this Spring, and first Summer seemed to fit. So, yes, it can be confusing, but its getting less confusing thanks to those kind enough to reply in the ID sub-forum (even though I have a high post count).

 

Mícheál

Well-known member

• Jul 31, 2010

• #7

I don't think the other thread referred to questions like this.

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jul 31, 2010

• #8

Mícheál said:

I don't think the other thread referred to questions like this.

Click to expand...

why not? here it's a very simple question of ageing a gull, the other thread was a very simple question of identifying a wader. Both very simple questions with very simple answers - unless you don't know the answer, in which case a forum such as this is a perfect place to ask. :t:

I agree, 2cy Black-headed Gull.