Gull query. SE Coast, Kent, UK 01/02/21 (1 Viewer)

[xaviertaylor]

Hi - I’m trying to learn to ID gulls, so I wonder if you can help me with this one? Likely contenders for this area at this time of year would be Herring, Caspian and Yellow-legged... the lack of white on the primaries has me a bit confused!
Thanks for any help you can offer.
I’m 99% sure that the bird landing is the same as the two photos in flight

 

[HH75]

Hi Xavier,
For a start, the bird landing is certainly the same as the one in flight. Note how it has a white mirror on P9 on the left wing but not the right.
In my opinion, this is a Herring Gull. The legs are pink, the upperparts seem relatively pale, and, while there is a complete black band on P5, it's not as thick and uniform as it would be on many Yellow-legged or Caspian Gulls.
Regards,
Harry

 

[xaviertaylor]

Thanks so much for your comprehensive reply Harry - thats most helpful! Would I be right in thinking that the lack of white on the wingtips is a bit unusual for Herring gull?

 

[lou salomon]

it HAS white tips to all primaries and it has mirrors (asymmetric, as harry pointed out), so i don't exactly understand what your question is about? and i agree, it's a herring gull.