9 Caspian Gulls? from Denmark (1 Viewer)

[Kent Olsen]

Are these Caspian Gulls identified correct or have I got it wrong in some of them?

I fully acknowledge that some of the important characters are not visible in all the photos, but from what you can see are there some of the birds that definitely are wrong for cachinnans?

Bird 1: (Larus cachinnans), 4k, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-4k-30122007-lakolk.html

Bird 2: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 9.11.2009, Følle Bund, Rønde
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2009/11/kaspisk-mage-larus-cachinnans-4k.html

Bird 3: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 19.11.2004, Århus Østhavn
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-19112004-rhus-sthavn.html

Bird 4: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 9.12.2007, Kjul Strand, Hirtshals
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-4k-9122007-kjul-strand.html

Bird 5: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 13.12.2008, Lakolk Strand, Rømø
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2008/12/kaspisk-mge-larus-cachinnans-4k.html

Bird 6: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-4k-30122007-lakolk_6322.html

Bird 7: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-4k-30122007-lakolk_9849.html

Bird 8: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 30.12.2007, Lakolk Strand, Rømø
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2007/12/larus-cachinnans-4k-30122007-lakolk_31.html

Bird 9: (Larus cachinnans), 4k+, 14.12.2008, Blåvandshuk, Blåvand
http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2008/12/mge-sp-larus-sp-3k-14122008-blvandshus.html

Thanks

Kent

 

[Steve Arlow]

As far as I can see they're all good Caspian Gulls, I can't really see anything wrond with them even the one with the largish bill which can be attributed to it being a male, all other features for it fit.

 

[lou salomon]

hi kent,

a shortscan only confirms they all look like caspians. some of the birds in more unfavourable positions i'd have liked to see closer or with open wing but on first view nothing's wrong on any of them.

cheers

 

[Kent Olsen]

Thanks a lot, great that you both support the identifications

The one from Blaavand was the one that I was not completely convinced about due to the narrow black band on p5: http://gulldk.blogspot.com/2008/12/mge-sp-larus-sp-3k-14122008-blvandshus.html

Kent

 

[lou salomon]

some can lack it totally

http://www.talk.gull-research.org/download/file.php?id=214 :eek!:
http://www.talk.gull-research.org/download/file.php?id=267 :eek!:

some have just a small mark on one web

http://lou.bertalan.de/birds/pic/hi/up_0316.jpg
http://lou.bertalan.de/birds/pic/hi/up_0317.jpg

if the rest is acceptable. i'd accept the thin p5 subterminal as pretty normal in caspian gull, a more variable feature than one would think. the blaavand gull seems ok.

 

[JANJ]

As mentoned by Lou some Caspian lack a dark mark on p5 all together. Some have a thin mark as on Kent's bird, some again like this:

http://www.artportalen.se/birds/gallery_imageinfo.asp?imageid=179065

The interesting part is whether a lack of a dark mark on p5 is a within variation for Caspian or if it´s a sign of other possible genes from other possible species, such as Herring? It´s said that one of the the key-feature for a Caspian or a Yellow-legged to be regognised as such is a dark mark on p5. I myself have only seen a few Caspians which lacked a dark p5 mark, one of these had a tiny dark spot on the outer web of p5.

JanJ