NE England. Leucistic herring gull c.f. Iceland? (1 Viewer)

[LowellMills]

Having second thoughts about IDing this as 2nd winter herring gull (leucistic). Anyone?

 

[tittletattler]

Having second thoughts about IDing this as 2nd winter herring gull (leucistic). Anyone?

You are right to call it a Herring.

 

[lou salomon]

rather strongly bleached than leucistic.

 

[Nutcracker]

rather strongly bleached than leucistic.

With those pure white primaries? They don't look particularly abraded the way that bleached feathers usually do.

Don't think this is the same bird, but a few weeks ago there was a leucistic Herring Gull in the North Shields / Wallsend area, with the outer primaries pure white:
https://twitter.com/paulandmaureen/status/1224050988711059459?s=20
https://twitter.com/Lophophanes/status/1217932640097128448?s=20

 

[lou salomon]

large gulls in their first year sometimes have a deficiency in eumelanin production which produce fast bleaching. they initially look like totally normal juveniles but later on get mostly white due to loss of eumelanin in their feathers. you can see the darker parts which all but the darker primaries are second generation and most of them just recently renewed by moult. even second generation scapulars are white by now. but this is a really extrem example. the bird you linked, michael, is leucistic indeed as the primaries look genuinely white but the rest is normal.

 

[LowellMills]

Thanks all. I think in the OP I meant to say '2nd cal year' not '2nd winter'.

 

[SteveClifton]

Thanks all. I think in the OP I meant to say '2nd cal year' not '2nd winter'.

It's at least a 2nd winter (3rd calendar year) judging by the pattern of the wing coverts that are normal in colouration.