Id Request - Gulls, Akshi Beach, Maharashtra, India - 2 (1 Viewer)

[mihir]

Request id help for the following birds photographed in Dec 2022
1-4) Heuglins?
5) Are both brown headed gulls?

 

[THE_FERN]

5) yes I think so. The large grey ear spot, thick bill with clear gonydeal bulge and apparent dark outer wing in the rear bird are better for this than black-headed (front bird is clearly brown-headed: white eyes)

 

[mihir]

5) yes I think so. The large grey ear spot, thick bill with clear gonydeal bulge and apparent dark outer wing in the rear bird are better for this than black-headed (front bird is clearly brown-headed: white eyes)

Are the gulls in the 2nd photo Steppe Gulls?

 

[THE_FERN]

Are the gulls in the 2nd photo Steppe Gulls?

Dunno.

 

[andyb39]

Are the gulls in the 2nd photo Steppe Gulls?

You have to be careful of the light, which can make the upper parts of a gull look darker than they actually are, but as the three birds on the left have noticeably darker backs than the single bird on the right, I think we can safely call them heuglini and the one on the right barabensis. I'm pretty sure the mean-looking bird at the front of the group of 3, which you can see again in no.3, is heuglini with those streaks on the head and nape. I'm not confident about identifying immature birds - in my experience even size, structure and bill shape are variable with this group and I spent many hours around Muscat trying to separate them and failing.

I would agree both birds in no.5 are Brown-headed. The bill of the immature bird behind the adult looks too stout for Black-headed.

 

[lou salomon]

I think all large Gulls in pics 1-4 are Steppe Gulls with the paler bird to the right in pic 2 possibly being an eastern cachinnans (it has large mirrors and a completed primary moult). The immatures in pics 1, 3 and 4 all are very advanced while still being 1st winters (1cy), excluding the tundra breeding heuglini.
Agree on both birds in pic 5 being Brown-headed Gulls.

 

[sbiswas.geo]

I think all large Gulls in pics 1-4 are Steppe Gulls with the paler bird to the right in pic 2 possibly being an eastern cachinnans (it has large mirrors and a completed primary moult). The immatures in pics 1, 3 and 4 all are very advanced while still being 1st winters (1cy), excluding the tundra breeding heuglini.
Agree on both birds in pic 5 being Brown-headed Gulls.

A cach would be extremely rare for the region. We probably need a wing view to confirm that.

 

[sbiswas.geo]

The immatures are barabensis based on moult stage, time of the year and likelihood at Indian coasts.