Michahellis or Argentatus ? in Majorca ... (1 Viewer)

[magpiemick]

Hello all,

Need some confirmation please photographed some gull's in Majorca, Spain 02.05.12, speaking to some other birders out there put a slight nagging doubt in my mind as they were saying that the gull's were ...

L. argentatus of the yellow legged type ...

But all features point towards ..

L. michahellis ~ Yellow-legged Gull

For images see here ... http://birdingthedayaway.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/majorca-spain-yellow-legged-gull-puerto.html

Regards

Mick ...

 

[JANJ]

Hi Mick.

You can rest with the fact that all your gulls are YLG. Note in the flight shot of the adults (bird 2 not fully adult), extensive black on wingtip with a dark mark on p5 (counted from outwards), reddish orbital ring and mirror on p10, mostly all white in Herring. Bird 6 has an all white tip to p10, which is not unique for some YLG. However, the black subterminal tip might be worn of.

JanJ

 

[magpiemick]

Thanks JanJ for your quick reponse which confirmed my thoughts ...

Regards

Mick ...

 

[tittletattler]

Thanks JanJ for your quick reponse which confirmed my thoughts ...

Regards

Mick ...

Interesting to see the Caspian Gull like white tip to P10 on at least one of the adults. I don't think that the tip has worn off (but note 1+ bird has broken tips). Similar to some of the birds you and I see at Viridor and on the Thames.

Other than that, they are standard michahellis.

See ya soon,

Andy.

 

[lou salomon]

not only in eastern populations of michahellis (where this is a more common feature) but also in western mediterranean birds a small percentage (~5% ?) of adult YLG have all white tips to p10.

 

[magpiemick]

Thanks Lou & Andy always so informative ...

Mick ...