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Juvenile large gull, West Yorkshire (1 Viewer)

loiner

Well-known member
This bird was seen just outside Leeds, West Yorkshire on 25th July and has divided opinion among the locals. Yellow-legged Gull is the most frequent suggestion but Caspian Gull and Lesser Black-backed have also been mentioned. YLG is still uncommon here and we've not had a juvenile before. The first two photos are overexposed, the later three more representative of what the bird looked like.
The dark mask round the eye is supposed to be a pointer to YLG but head shape and bill size seem 'off' in the first two photos, but better in the others. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

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Based on second pic I am in the Herring gull team. It is quite fresh looking bird (YL gull should already have wear on the body). HEad shape, primary projection tertials etc points to herring in my opinion.
cheers
 
Based on second pic I am in the Herring gull team. It is quite fresh looking bird (YL gull should already have wear on the body). HEad shape, primary projection tertials etc points to herring in my opinion.
cheers

I agree it's most likely a Herring Gull, based on the features you mentioned, though if foreshortening is affecting the impression of wing length, LBBG might be an option too?
I don't see much of a case here for YLG or Caspian.
Always helps to have open wing and tail shots with gulls of this age.
 
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YLG or LBBG for me. Tertials are off for most HG, primaries look blackish and lack pale tips. But like Steve I'd encourage to try to take flight pics in juvenile gulls to see inner primaries and tail pattern.
 
YLG or LBBG for me. Tertials are off for most HG, primaries look blackish and lack pale tips. But like Steve I'd encourage to try to take flight pics in juvenile gulls to see inner primaries and tail pattern.

Fair point about the primaries & tertials. On that basis I'd perhaps err towards LBBG (with the obvious caveats)👍
 
I have now time to double check and after checking all pics, 1-2 is herring gull and the rest (3-5) lbb gull.
There are 2 different birds.
 

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