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Gull. Lithuania (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter marius.k
- Start date
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Nothing really suggests Caspian at all. Looks like a Herring Gull, but is it odd for a northern bird to have such a white head already? A few southern birds do, but the northern birds wintering here are still very streaky-headed.
Steve
Steve
lou salomon
the birdonist
i also think along those lines. an underwing shot would have helped. not so ideal for YLG are the all white p10 tip, rel. large apical spots (white primary tips), apparently grey base of p9 and rel. slim bill base. but all would be within variation of this taxon. an all white head is not an exclusion trait for argentatus though! so, i'm inclined to call this a michahellis but without other pics and concerning the rarity of this taxon in lithuania at this time of year i'd be cautious and not 100% exclude a white headed "omissus" type herring gull with white head.
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Thank you for the explanation, Lou! What do you mean with the apparently grey base of P9? Do you mean that less of 50% is black?
I compared with a few pictures of adult YLG and I noticed that the grey part on P9 is smaller than on this bird, but they also have a (smaller) base of grey.
I compared with a few pictures of adult YLG and I noticed that the grey part on P9 is smaller than on this bird, but they also have a (smaller) base of grey.
lou salomon
the birdonist
it helps, marius. unfortunately i have to tell, it is not a YLG but a very micha-like herring gull, probably a younger adult. shows, that these yellow-legged herring gulls can show a rather frustrating amount of YLG features. solid p5 mark might be age related (4th or 5th cycle) but can be shown by adult baltic herring gulls, too. same goes for the red orbital, same goes for bright yellow legs (usually less bright in most "omissus" types at this time of year), same goes for the white head. it might have some cachi-genes as i suspect in quite some of these strange eastern baltic herring gulls.
now what makes me feel so sure about it not being a micha?
it's the underwing pattern. left wing, pic 1 in post 6: there you have a largely black p10 underside, then a strong rectangular kink towards the primary tips, leaving only little black on p6-8(9). i never saw this pattern in michahellis but in a few herring gulls. now the large apical spots make sense...
cheers
now what makes me feel so sure about it not being a micha?
it's the underwing pattern. left wing, pic 1 in post 6: there you have a largely black p10 underside, then a strong rectangular kink towards the primary tips, leaving only little black on p6-8(9). i never saw this pattern in michahellis but in a few herring gulls. now the large apical spots make sense...
cheers
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
Isn't the dark grey on secondaries a sign that it is not fully adult?
lou salomon
the birdonist
can't see that. in the 2nd flight shot? well, there seems to be something darker but i'd call that an illusion since in first flight shot it is absent. more black, less white in primary tip is a sign of younger age, though. when getting older p9 mirror will be larger also.
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
lou salomon
the birdonist
i took that for some blown feathers, valéry.
Hi, to my eyes this Gull should be a micha (i´m reluctant to contradict Lou |<|) but mantle-tone, apical-spots, black on upper prims, P5 included, and small mirror on P9 are in range with YLG in my opinion. Strong, parallel edged, blunt, intensive coloured bill and red orbital-ring as well and i guess there is a small black marking in spot on P10 tip. Couldn´t there be anything wrong with pic 1 in post 6?
Cheers - f.
Cheers - f.
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