Gull Id - A Challenge!!! (1 Viewer)

[Ruby]

Have to say that the main reason that this will be a challenge is the almost total absence of useful data from me!!

Out and about in SE England last week and came across large numbers of Gulls resting on the ice of a local ex-gravel pit..... There was Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls, Common Gulls, a single Yellow-legged Gull, large numbers of Black-headed Gulls (inc some very fetching pink ones!) and some Herring Gulls...and, as you might expect, it is in the latter area that our mystery bird resides!

I'm 90% certain it was a Herring Gull of some sort, but the mantle colour was several shades darker than typical HG colour, being about halfway to the colour of a LBB. It had a very heavily streaked head and (appeared to me anyway!) to have a slightler longer than usual bill.

Not much to go on, but any ideas anyone?


Rgds... Ray

 

[snowcap]

Hi, this sounds like a Herring Gull of the Northern/Scandinavian subspecies Argentatus.They often have more white in the primaries as well and can be very large and bulky.As would be expected they occur commonly on the East coast and in the Midlands but are generally less common further west.

cheers,S

 

[Ruby]

Thanks..... Yes - I did actually get the impression that it was a bit bigger than nearby HGs, but difficult to be sure as it was only 'sitting down' when I saw it....

 

[Terry Townshend]

Hi, this sounds like a Herring Gull of the Northern/Scandinavian subspecies Argentatus.They often have more white in the primaries as well and can be very large and bulky.As would be expected they occur commonly on the East coast and in the Midlands but are generally less common further west.

cheers,S

Agreed. The argentatus subspecies of Herring Gull generally has a slightly darker mantle than the UK's argenteus and tends to be bulkier, too. Some are real brutes. For a good selection of photos of both argenteus and argentatus, see here.

Terry

 

[pauco]

From your 'data' + strongly streaked head, i would go for argentatus, Ray.

 

[Ruby]

Had a look at the photo links and am happy that it was a good match for argentatus.

Thanks for your help everyone....