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Black-tailed Gull
jmorlan

Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris)

This distinctive species retains a dark tail band into adulthood. They were very common in harbors and bays around Japan. Their distribution is centered around East Asia but they have strayed to Alaska and North America. This is an adult in breeding plumage. They reportedly take four years to reach adulthood, but the third cycle is difficult to detect because it is so similar to the adult. The main differences are said to be a brownish tinge to the wing coverts, duller yellow legs and smaller white primary tips in unworn plumage. The differences are subtle and it remains unclear whether all individuals have a recognizable 3rd cycle plumage
Location
Aoiumi Park, Aomori Port, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Date taken
6 May 2017
Scientific name
Larus crassirostris
Equipment used
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Media information

Category
Asia, Australia & Pacific Islands
Added by
jmorlan
Date added
View count
24
Comment count
1

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