Herring gull in Denmark (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear members and bird watchers

I spotted these two Herring Gulls in Copenhagen yesterday

I have learned a lot from Birdforum and the link http://www.gull-research.org/hg/0start.html recommended by Birdforum.

So I have identified the attached gulls as:
Bird on the left hand side: Adult, getting in to winter plumage, getting grey around the head. First I thought last year as juvenile due to the grey head.

But the wings are evenly grey with out the "BABY FEATHERS" in the grey wings

Bird on the right hand side: Baby born this last summer because of the full BLACK bill

Anyone knowing if this is correct?

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[aeshna5]

Agree, adult on left going into winter plumage + 1st winter bird.

 

[Aladdin]

Agree, adult on left going into winter plumage + 1st winter bird.

Thank you very much!

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[lou salomon]

not quite. the right hand bird is a 2cy (hatched in 2018). forget about bill colour but note that coverts, especially greater coverts, have a more filigrane pattern and primaries are regrown only up to p8 (still p9 and 10 to grow in the wingtip).

 

[rollingthunder]

I have to say - that is a nice picture of 2 very smart birds:eek!:

Keep with Gulls - the ageing process will pay off and stand you in good stead.
Around here where i live in the West Midlands there is not much else to look at in the Winter so it’s Gulls, Gulls and then some.

I would have expected a 2cy Herring, even at that angle to be showing a change of colour on the mantle and given that that bird is probably with one of its parents (?) this would indicate a juvenile 1cy bird - just saying

Aladdin - now you are getting to grips with plumage ID pay attention to nomenclature - the word ‘baby’ is not acceptable and you will get funny looks if uttered in the company of other respectable birders. Young or juvenile is acceptable but not baby:t:

Good birding -

Laurie -

 

[SteveClifton]

I would have expected a 2cy Herring, even at that angle to be showing a change of colour on the mantle and given that that bird is probably with one of its parents (?) this would indicate a juvenile 1cy bird - just saying

Young or juvenile is acceptable but not baby:t:

Good birding -

Laurie -

As Lou has already said above, this is a 2cy bird, so if photographed yesterday it would be approximately 15-16 months old.

Hence, it is most definitely not a juvenile (at least in the northern hemisphere, juvenile = 1cy but not all 1cy birds are still juvenile); to assume it is 'with one of its parents' because another bird is next to it is no proof of age.

 

[rollingthunder]

Agreed Steve but because the bird was described as a baby i assumed it was with its mummy

Laurie:t:

 

[Aladdin]

As Lou has already said above, this is a 2cy bird, so if photographed yesterday it would be approximately 15-16 months old.

Hence, it is most definitely not a juvenile (at least in the northern hemisphere, juvenile = 1cy but not all 1cy birds are still juvenile); to assume it is 'with one of its parents' because another bird is next to it is no proof of age.

Thank you!

So it is an adult and a 2nd summer bird. So I will go for this

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

not quite. the right hand bird is a 2cy (hatched in 2018). forget about bill colour but note that coverts, especially greater coverts, have a more filigrane pattern and primaries are regrown only up to p8 (still p9 and 10 to grow in the wingtip).

Thank you lou salomon!

I will go for the 2 summer and and adult. As said below, 15 to 16 months old

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[SteveClifton]

Thank you!

So it is an adult and a 2nd summer bird. So I will go for this

Kind regards
Aladdin

Adult and 1st summer (I know-confusing!) B

 

[Aladdin]

Adult and 1st summer (I know-confusing!) B

Thank you

OK, so it is one adult and one bird born during the spring 2018. Maybe different in different part of the world?

Some countries have spring and some no spring, well, OK, you are right very confusing. http://www.gull-research.org/hg/0start.html and they call it calendar year. So it is an adult and one on the 2nd calendar year.


Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin