Caspian gull again! (1 Viewer)

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Martin1989

Well-known member

• Jan 10, 2017

• #1

Hi,

I'm back with a gull i think could be a Caspian.
This time photos are ugly, sorry...

I saw the bird today, in Western France.

The bird was obviously bigger in size than LBBG next to him.

Can anyone give his opinion on this one, even with those photos?

Eye was smaller and darker than LBBG's, and i saw clearly the pear-headshape with small beak.

Cheers
Martin

 

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Ighalo is amazing

Well-known member

• Jan 10, 2017

• #2

The structure (small head, long primaries and long thin bill) does look good for a Caspian Gull as does the clean white head, mantle shade in comparison to nearby LBBGS and large p10 mirror.

However it is impossible to exclude a Herring or YLG from these pictures.

Though if I had a gun to my head I would call this a Caspian Gull...

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Jan 10, 2017

• #3

appears to have a large all white p10 tip favouring caspian. but: it is close to impossible to ID a large gull from such a small pic.

 

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TerryL

Well-known member

• Jan 10, 2017

• #4

The apparent long legs of the bird is also good for Caspian. They're quite leggy.

 

MTem

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2017

• #5

You eyes are much better than mine if you can see that detail with any confidence from these photos ...
Mick

 

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Martin1989

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2017

• #6

Thank you guys for your thoughts.
I think, even if you're careful, that we can assume this bird is a Capsian.
I'd the gut feeling this was a Caspian on the field, according to jizz, head-shape, wingtips, etc and i just needed a little confirmation !

Cheers !

 

DMW

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2017

• #7

I don't think you can really take the comments here as any sort of confirmation!

Can I ask how useful a character is a clean white head? I recognise that large gull ID tends to be based on a suite of variable characters, and absence of head streaking is considered to be one, but my experience here in Jersey is that plenty of Herring Gulls have clean white heads at this time of year, to the point that I don't consider it a useful feature. Am I wrong?!

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Jan 11, 2017

• #8

you're not wrong. all 3 grey mantled large gulls can have white heads in midwinter.

 

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pete wragg

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2017

• #9

Martin1989 said:

Thank you guys for your thoughts.
I think, even if you're careful, that we can assume this bird is a Capsian.
I'd the gut feeling this was a Caspian on the field, according to jizz, head-shape, wingtips, etc and i just needed a little confirmation !

Cheers !

Click to expand...

No.
You really can not "assume this bird is a Caspian".
You can not see any "tangible field marks", this bird is simply un-identifiable from these pictures.
I can not say it isn't a Caspian,but no-one can say that it is.
There is a big differance from having a gut feeling,to confidently identifying a Caspian Gull.

Pete.

 

MTem

Well-known member

• Jan 11, 2017

• #10

DMW said:

I don't think you can really take the comments here as any sort of confirmation!

Can I ask how useful a character is a clean white head? I recognise that large gull ID tends to be based on a suite of variable characters, and absence of head streaking is considered to be one, but my experience here in Jersey is that plenty of Herring Gulls have clean white heads at this time of year, to the point that I don't consider it a useful feature. Am I wrong?!

Click to expand...

Agree. I will be gull ringing at a landfill on Saturday (hopefully) and I am sure I will see HG with all of the features mentioned above (dark eye, white head, large p10 mirror, long legs, etc. even assuming they are actually features of this bird in reality and not photo artefacts as I cannot with certainty see them) although perhaps not always in the same bird. I think this gull is unidentifiable from these photos alone, and although it is possible it is Caspian, it is also (more?) likely it is a HG - given the relative abundance.

I am not trying to question the views of the experts above, just suggesting you (the OP not DMW!) are reading more into their replies than is merited on the current evidence.

Mick

 

B

balex78

Well-known member

• Jan 15, 2017

• #11

From the few visible details it looks like a caspian. But almost impossible to tell from these pics