Gulls - Panjin, Liaoning, China (1 Viewer)

[Owen Krout]

From today, Sept. 14th, Panjin, Liaoning, China. Two species which makes size comparison easier. The larger is actually a small gull in itself as a Saunder's Gull. Able to tie that down from the more common Black-headed Gull with the distinctive "eek - eek" calls and the visual judgement of size. The species in question here is the much smaller individuals, which I am thinking are Little Gull. Not common here, but migration is getting underway, so possible. Sorry, but nothing was flying, apparently having filled their bellies just before I arrived.

 

[Butty]

The big things look like common gulls. The small things look like juvenile whiskered terns.

 

[MacNara]

I can't help with the ID, but I have a few questions and observations which may help others. I've added adjusted photos to show what I mean.

Are the little birds in the first picture supposed to be the same as the small birds in the second picture? They don't look the same to me.

Saunder's Gull (29-33cm) and Little Gull (24-30cm) overlap in size, so aren't the two birds in the second picture too dissimilar in size to be this combination?

The birds in picture one appear to have a lot of brown plumage, a strong collar, and yellow legs (though partly these may be an artefact). Don't these details narrow things down (see 1B)?

The small birds in the second photo seem to have tail streamers (see 2B).

 

[Owen Krout]

All good analysis and questions, MacNara. First of all, the second picture is just an enlargement from the same group of little birds, so yes, the same little birds as in picture one.
Second, mea culpa, I just wasn't really focusing on the larger gulls and with closer examination and better photos from the next day, I default back to the most common gulls here, Black-headed Gull. Bills are too long for Saunder's and wing pattern is wrong.
Third, good catch on the apparent tail streamers, I hadn't noticed that and it would tend to indicate Tern.
Unfortunately, most of the little birds had migrated on with the few in evidence maintaining too much distance. (The only closer access would be from the water's edge in the village across from where I was. The people there happen to be particularly touchy about outsiders, so I respect them and stay out. A few definite adult Whiskered Tern were flying along with a couple of genuine Saunder's which prompted me to realize my mistake. The small ones from the original post still seem to be smaller even than the Whiskered Tern, but size can be deceiving to judge at distance.
I took the better camera rig on the second trip and have included some shots here, if that is any help.

 

[MacNara]

Well, if the larger birds are Black-headed Gulls, then the smaller things must be juvenile Whiskered Terns, as Butty said, and the 'streamers' I saw are just the tail (below) and the wing (above) with a gap between them.

 

[Butty]

The gulls in all the photos do indeed all look good for black-headed gull, various ages.