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young large white headed gull, Nouakchott, Mauritania (1 Viewer)

B

BirdingRob

Brit abroad
Seen today.

We have a small number of more or less ill looking lesser black backed gulls which are over-summering and at least one adult yellow-legged gull. A few kelp gulls breed 100 km north and other 200 km south.

I am struggling to identify this one.

All help gratefully received as ever.

Rob
 

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Interesting. I am keen to hear what others think. There are several records in Banc d'Arguin National Park (also in Mauritania) which starts 100 km north of this site. As far as I know there is only one record south of the Park and ironically it was in exactly the same place as this observation.

Rob
 
BirdingRob said:
Interesting. I am keen to hear what others think. There are several records in Banc d'Arguin National Park (also in Mauritania) which starts 100 km north of this site. As far as I know there is only one record south of the Park and ironically it was in exactly the same place as this observation.

Rob
Click to expand...

With such a huge bill and large white tip on tertials, then the darkening mantle... I'm almost confident; common species can be excluded. Actually, I've seen in Morocco they have some identification issues between Kelp and GBB Gulls, and I'm not familiar with immature Kelp, so I will read Lou's comment with pleasure :t:
 
I have one more picture which I am not sure is any extra help as I missed the head of the bird! It shows the bulk of it very well though.
 

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I have taken more expert advice and am told "the bill structure easily excludes any sort of LBBG". Let's not forget also that there are as many kelp gulls in Mauritania (it breeds here) at the moment as over-summering LBBG.

R
 
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Do you have any other images of young Kelp gull candidate from this part of the world, Rob? If yes, I would be really interested to see them...
 
This bird looks very good for Kelp Gull Imo. Surely not a GBBG, which never looks this plain. The caveat would indeed be a large intermedius type LBBG, but several things are not matching but are much better for Betula Kelp Gull: small pear shaped head with a heavy and slightly drooping bill, plain coverts, very worn though which also is in line with very early breeding Kelp Gulls on the northern hemisphere. Add the greenish legs for a first alternate bird and you get Larus dominicanus.
 
For sure some traits are pointing towards Kelp gull, yet I would resist the temptation to call it a definite Kelp gull based on those 2 images, even though I bear in mind that it is not a bold claim in Mauritania. The lack of a secondary skirt for instance is a bit problematic.
Anyway like I said, I am really interested in seeing other images of candidates Kelp gulls from this part of the world (Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco). Paul Dufour recently found a very good candidate for 1st cycle Kelp in Dakhla and we are looking for comparison material.
 
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