Common Gull? - İstanbul Turkey (1 Viewer)

[babuccu]

Hello everyone,

I photographed this individual in İstanbul today. Gulls give me hard time trying to determine the species and I think this guy might be a Common gull. Comments are appreciated.

Thanks

 

[KenM]

Common Gull yes.

Cheers

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

yes , Larus canus

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I would guess this is a Yellow-legged Gull. It shows a pale eye, red spot on the bill and the wingtip pattern is wrong for Common Gull.

 

[THE_FERN]

I would guess this is a Yellow-legged Gull. It shows a pale eye, red spot on the bill and the wingtip pattern is wrong for Common Gull.

I don't see a red spot on the bill. I agree the eye is pale but afaik common gull can show this (e.g. esp. kamtschatschensis). I also feel wing pattern is within variation for common. Overall, shape feels dainty and v much like common to me. Perhaps it could be an esp gracile yl but it's common gull for me.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I don't see a red spot on the bill. I agree the eye is pale but afaik common gull can show this (e.g. esp. kamtschatschensis). I also feel wing pattern is within variation for common. Overall, shape feels dainty and v much like common to me. Perhaps it could be an esp gracile yl but it's common gull for me.

The red spot on the bill is pretty clear in the second picture, at least if you zoom in.

 

[THE_FERN]

The red spot on the bill is pretty clear in the second picture, at least if you zoom in.

I'm only looking on a phone but I can't see anything other than slightly orangish hue to lower mandible. I see nothing which matches the discrete spot you'd expect. I feel the bill is uniform yellowish given quality of the pic.

 

[lou salomon]

Andrew is right - a clean headed (already in alternate plumage) adult Yellow-legged Gull. Primary pattern excludes Common Gull from the beginning.

 

[babuccu]

thank you all for the valuable comments. it has been a good practice on gulls for me.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

That will teach me not to look only at the small pictures.....

 

[lou salomon]

That will teach me not to look only at the small pictures.....

on the small pics I have said: it's a heinei