Heinei Common Gulls? (1 Viewer)

Searching for Common Gulls that meet the criteria mentioned by Peter Adriaens and Chris Gibbins for the subspecies heinei, I found this bird. It was at Wusterwitz/Germany on 13.1.2019. For me, it looks very good, but has some sharp streaks on the crown and the underwing is not perfect. The original pictures for better assessment are here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmEgXGsX

I also add a bird taken on 14.2.2017 in Prenzlau/ Germany with more extensive streaking on the crown (Third picture).

I would like to get comments, if they can be considered as IDable heinei in Western Europe. Or, can they be considered to be "of eastern origin AKA birds "from an intergrade zone or just variation" of heinei" (https://perdixbirding.com/2019/02/14/1st-winter-russian-heieni-common-gulls-istanbul/). Or are they better leaved unidentified?


Thank you!
Alexander Stöhr

Hi Alexander,

the first bird looks interesting, with its dark greater coverts contrasting with clean white underparts, but better shots of the underwing are needed to identify this bird.
For the second bird (from Prenzlau), photos of the underwing are missing altogether?
In that case it can definitely not be identified.

Hello,
thank you! I can look if I have pictures from the underwing of the second bird. Many of my pictures arent systematically ordered, but I have many pictures of Common Gulls from that time.
I search for heinei in Germany for some time now. See here: https://www.club300.de/gallery/idforum_topic.php?id=50462 and here: https://www.club300.de/gallery/idforum_topic.php?id=29426
But I learned from your paper, that both are not heinei. Equipped with this, I found birds that looked good on first sight, but most werent "perfect", with some streaking on the crown/head, greenish tinge to the bill in adults or a "bad" wing-pattern.
The 1 winter heinei you show in the DB paper shows a pure white head (especially picture 73 and 74, best judged in the printed version), while most of the 1 cy "heinei" candidates, I have seen close enough showed at least some fine sharp streaks to the crown, for example these:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskPZ3WMD or https://flic.kr/s/aHskMERR3k , maybe the same bird)
As I havent experience from Common Gull within breeding range of heinei and you wrote that an idable heinei should have a pure white head, I was unsure. Are a few, small, and sharp streaks to the crown (and nowhere else on the head) acceptable for an Idable heinei in Europe?
I have written my thoughts here, including some pictures:

Its all written in german, but maybe you find the time to look at these? I know, that you dont have the time to be around here all day, but I am willing to wait for an expert help! As said, your answer is so helpfull to me!