Large Gulls for ID - Bucharest, Romania (1 Viewer)

[Cristian Mihai]

Pics taken today. I have an opinion...but I will wait to see what you think...
Thank you very much for help and understanding...

 

[Cristian Mihai]

More pics...

 

[BobTag]

Mostly Caspo's, at least one 1st-winter YLG

 

[Cristian Mihai]

I would say:
pic1: on the water YL, on ice on the right Caspian, on ice on the left probably 2 YLs
pic2: left YL?, middle Caspian, right Caspian
pic3: left ?, right Caspian
pic4 and 5: same birds from 3
pic6: right ?, left YL
pic7: caspian
pic8: YL?
pic9 and 10: YL and the bird from pic8.

Let's solve together the "?". Any comment please?

 

[JANJ]

Hello Cristian.

Nice set of Some Caspians and Yellow-legged Gulls!

1. Yellow-legged on the water, Caspian to the right and probably two Yellow-legged.
2. The same Caspian again, Yellow-legged to the left and at right a Caspian/Yellow-legged.
3. Yellow-legged to the left and the same Caspian/Yellow-legged as in nr 2, and note how much paler it is now.
4. Same as in nr 3.
5. Yellow-legged left, Caspian right.
6. Caspian right (same as in nr 5) left Yellow-legged (same as in nr 3 and 4)
7. Caspian - probably same asin nr 1 and 2.
8. Yellow-legged.
9. Two Yellow-legged.
10. Same as above.

JanJ

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Thank you very much Bob and JanJ!

 

[lou salomon]

hi,

what a good comparison study.

- that 3cy pics 2-4 is a beautiful elegant and seemingly large bird, could be caspian but it looks thick necked, stance is not the vertical one of casp and legs are strong (which all could fit a male cach too).

- absolutely fascinating is the monster young male in pics 8-10. it has a very long but also heavy bill. on its left side it has moulted at least one tertial and pattern of coverts and lower scaps is spectacular, not really resembling michahellis!

so, most of mihai's ids were right and i think i totally agree with mr. jörgensen.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

For that 3cy bird from pics 2-4 I found a pic that could help as to decide... I supose it is the landing bird from the right.
So, Caspian or YL?

 

[JANJ]

Small white mirror on p10 and white unmarked underwing good for Caspian!

JanJ

 

[lou salomon]

not only good but best for pontic gull! these are 2nd generation primaries and in caspian (pontic) in the majority of cases shows a mirror at p10 tip already, of variable size. also at this age class inner primaries window is more accentuated by p1-2 being all pale, 3-5 most inner web, and pale tongues continue onto outer primaries (not visible here, on a more spread wing it does), not so in michahellis.
so we have 2 YLGs (a same aged - 3cy - michahellis at the left, foloowed by a 2cy bird) and 2 caspians, ad and 3cy. good for comparison!

 

[JANJ]

Good means best, and Lou is right about the inner primary pattern on Caspian visavi Yellow-legged but there are more or less exeptions.

These Caspians and Yellow-legged shows something of this:

http://www.iesmeulmeester.nl/fotos.php?actie=foto&cat=1&subcat=2&subcatsub=234

http://www.iesmeulmeester.nl/fotos.php?actie=foto&cat=1&subcat=2&subcatsub=186

http://www.iesmeulmeester.nl/fotos.php?actie=foto&cat=1&subcat=1&subcatsub=227

http://www.iesmeulmeester.nl/fotos.php?actie=foto&cat=1&subcat=1&subcatsub=191

http://www.iesmeulmeester.nl/fotos.php?actie=foto&cat=1&subcat=1&subcatsub=184

JanJ

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Strange bird in the first link!

 

[lou salomon]

i was not talking about inner primary window as better for cach (there really is overlap) but about the distribution of pale (buff) tongues on inner webs of p6-10 in caspians, getting similar to the grey ones of ad. whereas mich has more restricted tongues, and well, tendentially, less pale on inner primaries too. sorry if i sounded arrogant B