Kenya, January 2025 - A wader & gulls (1 Viewer)

[JayFeatherPL]

Kenya, January 2025
Lake Nakuru NP
Dunlin? Or is it Little Stint, after all?
Apart from it (and the Pied Acovet), there are Grey-headed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls, right? There's no Slender-billed Gull, or is there?

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Gulls seem to be all Grey-headed , Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus , also the single one .

I am not sure on the wader, though. To me it doesn´t look healthy , adding to the difficulties....

 

[THE_FERN]

Gulls seem to be all Grey-headed , Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus , also the single one .

I am not sure on the wader, though. To me it doesn´t look healthy , adding to the difficulties....

Bill surely too short, straight for dunlin. Presume little stint as see no evidence of pale legs and shape wrong for temmincks

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Gulls seem to be all Grey-headed , Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus , also the single one .

I am not sure on the wader, though. To me it doesn´t look healthy , adding to the difficulties....

Bill surely too short, straight for dunlin. Presume little stint as see no evidence of pale legs and shape wrong for temmincks

Thanks. And what about this gull being Black-headed?

 

[THE_FERN]

Thanks. And what about this gull being Black-headed?

what about it? Slender billed immatures have slender bills and pale eyes [bill is paler too]. I see nothing but black-headed and grey-hooded here.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

what about it? Slender billed immatures have slender bills and pale eyes [bill is paler too]. I see nothing but black-headed and grey-hooded here.

No, no, no. It was a response to Joern. He said there are only Grey-headed Gulls here. I thought that gull may be Black-headed...

 

[THE_FERN]

No, no, no. It was a response to Joern. He said there are only Grey-headed Gulls here. I thought that gull may be Black-headed...

there are. Grey-hooded doesn't have the pronounced black spot behind the eye

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

there are. Grey-hooded doesn't have the pronounced black spot behind the eye

I thought young birds do show this, together with dark eye

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

https://previews.123rf.com/images/davemontreuil/davemontreuil1401/davemontreuil140100146/25361532-a-young-grey-headed-gull-larus-cirrocephalus-in-flight.jpg

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/photos/larcir50945.jpg

 

[lou salomon]

In the 1st winter gull I'd prefer to see primary pattern, not reliably identifiable. Agree on Little Stint for the wader.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Thanks all

 

[THE_FERN]

https://previews.123rf.com/images/davemontreuil/davemontreuil1401/davemontreuil140100146/25361532-a-young-grey-headed-gull-larus-cirrocephalus-in-flight.jpg

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/photos/larcir50945.jpg

I see different bill shape, paler black spot and different bill colour to what I expect for black-headed. I find the latter redder (less pinkish/orangy), black spot more concentrated (less vertically elongated) and bill more elongated. Agree these may be subtle, perhaps overlap

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

I see different bill shape, paler black spot and different bill colour to what I expect for black-headed. I find the latter redder (less pinkish/orangy), black spot more concentrated (less vertically elongated) and bill more elongated. Agree these may be subtle, perhaps overlap

Same with me when I look at Jayfeathers original picture 😉 and the cut of it

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Thanks. And what about this gull being Black-headed?

To me that looks much like a young greyheaded with the leg color + the shape and coloration of the dark spot and this bill- though not 100% definite proof without primary pattern, as Lou stated


However , looking more closely at the single bird and the underside of its primaries: That has to be Blackheaded, hasn´t it ?!

 

[lou salomon]

I didn't see the last pic...which is a BHG

 

[JayFeatherPL]

I didn't see the last pic...which is a BHG

To me that looks much like a young greyheaded with the leg color + the shape and coloration of the dark spot and this bill- though not 100% definite proof without primary pattern, as Lou stated


However , looking more closely at the single bird and the underside of its primaries: That has to be Blackheaded, hasn´t it ?!

Thanks
And by the way how can we exclude 2nd winter GHG on the last picture?

 

[JayFeatherPL]

In the 1st winter gull I'd prefer to see primary pattern, not reliably identifiable. Agree on Little Stint for the wader.

And by the way, what's diagnostic in the primary pattern of 1st winter GHG? How to separate 1st winter GHG from BHG?

 

[Gladiator96]

And by the way, what's diagnostic in the primary pattern of 1st winter GHG? How to separate 1st winter GHG from BHG?

You can readily find this information in any guide...but the primary pattern is completely different. Compare:

ML631005915 - Gray-hooded Gull - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML631005915; © Fabian Bindrich; Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

macaulaylibrary.org

vs

ML630227867 - Black-headed Gull - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML630227867; © Anonymous; Washington, Rhode Island, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

 

[JayFeatherPL]

I didn't see the last pic...which is a BHG

And how can we exclude 2nd winter GHG on the last picture?

 

[lou salomon]

It's a first cycle. See e.g. black tail tip and darkish secondaries. It's a BHG because it has the pale forewing.