Gulls in Tajikistan (1 Viewer)

[PhilSteiner]

These photos were taken on the Syr Darya east of Khujand last week. I have a handle on the Black-headed Gulls, and I feel like I'm solid on the Common Gulls (as long as I'm not worried about IDing to subspecies). In the field, I was thinking that most of the large gulls were Caspian, with a Lesser Black-Backed mixed in that I'd want to get to subspecies once I got home to look at the photos. To my dismay, most of the Caspian Gulls with spread wings do not have an all-white tip on P10, making me think I was mis-IDing Lesser Black-Backed (Steppe) Gulls as Caspians, and the one I did pick out as Lesser Black-Backed may be a LBBG (Heuglin's). I'd really appreciate any direction in IDing these.

Caspian? Steppe?


Common Gull in front...which gull in back left?


Gull in profile with the raised rear end posture...this is one that stuck out as different to me and I thought may be Heuglin's.


The same gull from the previous photo is in the center...and this is one of the photos with the birds with spread wings in the back showing black tips on P10, making me think these are Steppe Gulls.


Two more birds with spread wings, the one on the right a young bird.


Another couple spread-wing shots of a bird in this group showing fairly extensive black wingtips with a black tip on P10. Common Gull in front and another facing us in the second photo to give a sense of scale.

 

[Thijsdekruif]

Not an expert, but all of these (except de commons) look like Steppe to me. Most likely in the area, too. I'd expect a Heuglins to be darker.