Gull Uk (1 Viewer)

[VELORAPTOR]

Hi all,

take a look at this gull, record pics I forgot I took in a rush. See my notes too for less obvious differences I noticed from regular Common Gulls. What do you lot think about it?

Taken on March 12th this year in thick fog in Hemel whilst looking for recently seen Med Gull.

If it's just a 'normal' Common Gull it's by far the closest I've ever seen to a Ring-billed - which it can't be because of the primaries. Or am I missing something & it's another hybrid. Or has it just been on steroids?



Plenty of pics here: http://hemelbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/possible-ring-billed-gull-x-common-gull.html

Kind Regards,

Dan.

 

[KenM]

The bill looks too ''dainty'' IMO for RBG, I'd go with Common Gull on this.

Cheers

 

[Nutcracker]

Yep Common for me too. Ring-billed has a broader, more solidly black ring on its bill.

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

I agree, that really thin bill is no good for Ring-billed Gull. Also, the dark eye is another strike against that species.

 

[VELORAPTOR]

Thanks guys, my thinking was that it was probably a regular Common Gull but if there was possibility of RBGull or other in it.

Re. DarkFireFalcon - it actually had a yellow iris, which is one thing that grabbed my attention, but because of the fog this doesn't come over well in the photos.

I'm putting it down as just a varient of Common Gull, in fact here is a link with a similar bird (near bottom under 'Unusual Common Gulls', with the same colour eyes & same shaped bill: http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/Common Gull - adults.html

Here are my notes anyway:

BILL
Generally thicker & stronger than usual for Common Gull, though not as much as I'd expect for ring-billed Gull.
Blackish bill-ring which was more obvious, darker & thicker than similarly plumaged Common Gulls nearby.
Thicker lower mandible usual Common Gull - in fact 1/3 - 1/2 way from tip lower mandible is thicker than upper mandible which Ring-billed Gull can show but generally not seen in Common Gull.
Top of upper mandible straight to slightly convex - always seems to be slightly concave usually in Common Gull.
Trace of reddish skin at gape.

EYE
Less 'kind / soft / pretty' appearance than usual Common Gull.
Lighter yellow iris than expected for Common Gull (obvious even when viewed through fog), though not as light as I'd expect for Ring-billed Gull.
Red eye-ring.
Higher-up on head than usual in Common Gull.

BUILD
Longer, thicker neck than usual for Common Gull.
Heavy-looking deep chest compared to most Common Gulls.
Overall thicker set, stronger looking & more bulky than most Common Gulls.
More upright forehead than most Common Gulls.
Big 'belly' unlike most Common Gulls.

LEGS
Yellowish-pinkish - hard to define but certainly not the usual greenish-yellow.

PRIMARY FEATHERS
Appear within what I'd expect for Common Gull with both P10 & P9 having obvious white mirrors & no nice clean 'string of pearls' like Mew Gull.

Kind regards,

Dan.

 

[Tiraya]

Common gull does have a bill ring occasionally, I don't know how common it is though. Seems to be a basic plumage feature of some individuals.

 

[VELORAPTOR]

Thanks Silverwolf, it wasn't so much the fact that it had the bill-ring, as as you say they often do - it was a bit more obvious than nearby birds though, it was the combination of the details I've posted in my previous reply.

 

[Tiraya]

Most of those features seem normal. The legs are normal colour, but the green grass is emphasizing yellow as is the green cast on the entire photo itself. The primaries don't seem odd, they are being viewed mostly from underneath and there is overlap. Bill length/thickness can be variable in common gulls, as is eye position and colour (some gulls like Thayer's can have either light or dark eyes, for instance). I've seen some gulls with really tiny eyes and some with really high up eyes before, its just an odd thing of nature.

It just looks like this common gull here save the eye: http://onbird.ru/img/photo/sizaya-chayka/sizaya-chayka foto 5 (onbird.ru).jpg

Can see where you are coming from, it isn't the standard petite common gull.

PS: for ring-billed gull, the bill would have a better defined gony angle.

 

[VELORAPTOR]

Hi Silverwolf, agreed, that is what I am saying, it is not your usual petite Common Gull. I'm not saying I think this is a Ring-billed Gull at all, I know it's not. I'm talking about slight variations from the norm & how it is odd this bird shows a range of slight differences rather than just the one & how this is interesting as these differences seem to match those of so called Common Gull x Ring-billed Gull hybrids. I can't see the features I've mentioned in your pic, but I get your point, overall it fits.

P.S. yes the primaries alone say it is just a Common Gull.

 

[ADB]

It looks like a normal Common Gull to me. I see thousands of these at my patch roost during the Winter and Spring and as with other species, there is variation. Males are also larger than females, so some can look quite big. I don't see any features that would point to a hybrid.

Cheers, Adam

Hi Silverwolf, agreed, that is what I am saying, it is not your usual petite Common Gull. I'm not saying I think this is a Ring-billed Gull at all, I know it's not. I'm talking about slight variations from the norm & how it is odd this bird shows a range of slight differences rather than just the one & how this is interesting as these differences seem to match those of so called Common Gull x Ring-billed Gull hybrids. I can't see the features I've mentioned in your pic, but I get your point, overall it fits.

P.S. yes the primaries alone say it is just a Common Gull.