• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Gull id. (1 Viewer)

Marek,

Difficult so say given small size of image and lack of other species in shot to evaluate mantle colour. Looks like a Yellow-legged Gull on the face of it though.

Stephen.
 
Not certain but I reckon probably a Michahellis Yellow-legged Gull. The bill looks too blunt ended and the wing tips too black for Caspian.
 
Hi Marek,
Where do I start?Given the darkness of the photograph,it's difficult to see much detail on the bird.For example,is the iris actually blackish or not?
Nevertheless,I shall offer a few comments:
I have to say that,for a brief moment,the bird gave a 'Caspian' impression,due to the dark-eyed appearance,but the bill is too short and stubby for a typical cachinnans,and also too brightly coloured for all but adult summer(if even that!).Agree with Andrew that the wing-tips are too black,but subadult Caspian could show this.Still,I think that we can rule that out(here's where you say that it was one!)
It could be a Herring Gull,perhaps,but some features seem odd for a typical bird of any race.The structure especially seems off for argentatus in particular,and probably most argenteus.
We then come down to the potentially tricky trio of michahellis Yellow-legged,an unusually pale graellsii LBB and a Herring x LBB hybrid.While the pale head,head shape and apparent bill shape/colour(not to mention perceived mantle shade,but this can't really be evaluated here) all would suggest the first mentioned,can the other two options be conclusively ruled out based on this photograph?
'Pending' awaiting further information....;)
Harry H
 
could it be a fourth winter cachinnans?

though on closer look the bill is rather bright and as Harry noted perhaps wrong size. Eye looks good for cach and the wings are ok for fourth winter I think

very diff from one pic but if not then a mich? Can't do much else from that
 
Last edited:
Hi Tim,
The wings would be OK for 4th-w cachinnans,and the iris seems to be dark(?),but that bill is a problem,as you say.
Harry H
 
The eye does seem dark...

It also appears to be legless. A bit like me last night. For what its worth, I can't see Caspian in here, but LWHG's were never my forte!
 

Attachments

  • ylg.JPG
    ylg.JPG
    52.7 KB · Views: 232
Thanks for all the comments and I'm glad to see some people suggesting that some features suggested Caspian Gull as that's what I thought it was.

It does have a dark eye. You can't see the legs in the photo but they were straw-yellow. These two points and the head shape were why I thought Caspian Gull. However, as has been pointed out the bill colour is a problem although it's not particularly heavy.

So, it's a Y-L Gull but with a dark eye!
 
A slight aside... I was chatting to a mate the other day and commented that a lot of the people really into gulls are inland birders. Suggests coastal birders have better things to do!

BTW, I'm not really into gulls but every now again I think I might know what I'm talking about but am usually proved wrong.
 
Marek

I think it's the 'rubbish-tip and reservoir' syndrome that makes inland birders more interested in gulls than coastal watchers!

One feature on large gull id that I was reading some while ago (can't remember which one) said something like: 'If you haven't embarrassed yourself in public when identifying some large gulls then you're not trying hard enough!'
 
Hi Adey and Marek,

I think the article you mention is the one on Caspian Gulls that was on Birdguides. With the inland/ coastal thing - coastal areas sometimes aren't actually that good for gulls either. I look at them here in St Andrews and have done for a number of years and I've seen 2 Iceland Gulls. And that's it! When I go down to my folks in Northamptonshire I see Meds, Yellow-leggeds, Caspians, the odd Iceland - it's actually just a lot better.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top