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Possible hybrid gull, Dublin, 23/11/2013. (1 Viewer)

colonelboris

colonelboris

Right way up again
Evening all,

I was wondering if this is a possible Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull, taken in Dublin on 23/11/2013. Main points for me are the mid-grey mantle (almost exactly mid-range between the Herrings and the one LBB present) combined with the pink legs and the single mirror on p10. The size was the same as the Herrings it was severely harassing. Overall it felt to me that it had the look of a Herring in the head shape, but maybe a bit longer in the wings.
The other point that occurred was that it might be a Lesser Black-backed Gull that's not lost the pink legs as it's gained its adult plumage, which would also explain the dark patch on the bill and the slight brown smudge on the training edge on one of the secondaries on the right.
Any opinions welcome!
 

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your thoughts are correct, tony. all i can say is that it is highly unlikely for an adult LBBG to show pinkish legs. now this is a 3cy (3rd winter) type with a retarded bill, so it's a border case and hard to decide if not just a retarded LBBG. the blueish tingue and paler shade of mantle might well indicate HG influence.
 
If there are any other shots of this bird with HGs or LBBGs that might be useful but I think it is more likely to be a pink-legged subadult LBBG.

Certainly the mantle shade seems LBBG-like in the majority of the shots - it is only really the second shot that has the hybrid tone. To my eye in a hybrid there would be more contrast between the sub-terminal black markings on the mid primaries and the remainder of the feather and I also think that a dark sub-terminal marking on primary 4 is more likely in LBBG than a hybrid.

I have noticed that some of these subadult LBBGs tend to look a little paler than the ads. Presumably there is a little more brown pigment in among the grey?

I have some shots of (presumed) hybirds on my blog if you are interested - though none taken in Nov.

http://morgithology.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Lesser%20Black-backed%20Gull

Geoff
 
A similar looking bird today. Ceratinly the palest bird amonsgt the adults and other sub-adults.

Cheers,

Andy.
 

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